I am in the process of adopting my brother and sister. My brother is 13 years old and has type 1 diabetes. He takes insulin injections. I would like to be as prepared as possible and wonder if you can point me in the right direction as to where I can take some sort of class to learn how to care for a diabetic child. I have never had to deal with his before so I need to start from the beginning. If you, or any of the readers of this web site can give me a hint as to where to start, I would be very appreciative.

Congratulations on the expansion to your family and on getting ready to learn about diabetes. There are several resources, both local and online, that can help you begin. Check with your local American Diabetes Association office to locate an ADA recognized education program. The ADA web site lists recognized programs.

Another resource is to locate a diabetes educator through the American Association of Diabetes Educators web site.

You might also do a Google or Yahoo search for diabetes centers in your city.

Finally, there are great sites to begin some self-study. Start with our site, explore the area for parents and kids at the ADA web site, and check out the book “Understanding Diabetes.” (You need Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 or better to use the online version of the book.)

BS