Who should advocate for children with diabetes?
Parents should always be the primary advocates for their children. The examples given above demonstrate the power of parents to persuade and ultimately demand actions to meet their children’s needs. Parents have the legal standing to bring a suit on behalf of their child, if necessary. Parents are also the ones who can most effectively familiarize themselves with the unique health care policies of their own school district. A uniform approach to advocacy, while theoretically attractive, is practically unattainable. In Virginia, for example, there are more than 100 school districts, each with its own school health advisory board and its own school health policies. Health care professionals who care for children view themselves as child advocates, and indeed the testimony of such experts in child health is invaluable. However, those initiating the process must always be those who have a paternal and vested interest in the safety and health of the child. Health care professionals can and
