
June 11, 2003
School and Daycare
Question from a school nurse in Fayetteville, Georgia, USA:
A student I care for is absent a lot, and his mom states it is because of his type 1 diabetes. When is the parent abusing the right to educate a child? What is the law on this?
Answer:
My advice to you is to report your concerns to the school principal. While your concern for the welfare of the child is appropriate, your investigation of the laws regarding compulsory education is not. In addition, you should measure your actions and disclosures against HIPAA requirements.
DSH
[Editor’s comment: In general, students with type 1 diabetes should not have an inordinate number of absences. I suggest you set up a meeting with the child, his parents, diabetes care team representative (if possible), and school personnel to discuss this problem and develop a plan to alleviate this situation.
SS]