The Yukon T1D Support Network has spent over two years trying to get Yukon Government to develop policies that manage children with Type 1 diabetes in K-12 schools. There are three things that this process has highlighted:
1. The Department of Education repeatedly fails to consult on matters of importance, instead relying on paternalistic strategies of ‘communication’. Case in point: when the Yukon T1D Support Network saw that the auditor general’s 2019 K-12 audit stated that “with respect to inclusive education, we found that the Department did not monitor its delivery of services and supports to students who had special needs, nor did it monitor these students’ outcomes” we provided them with policy recommendations to increase the inclusiveness of children with T1D. The June 25, 2019 response we received, in its entirety, was “Thank you for your email to Minister McPhee and for sharing the attached Yukon T1D policy recommendations. We appreciate you reaching out with this important information.”
WE DON’T NEED A THANKS. WE NEED POLICIES THAT PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.
2. The Administration of Medication policy that is currently crafted has highly competent and informed parents, teachers, and administrators in mind. When kids are diagnosed, the learning curve isn’t steep – it is an extreme and immersive experience of trial and error. It also takes YEARS to know what to do in any given situation. The current policy does not provide wiggle room for the myriad of competencies that exist, which is why it is essential that there be no interpretation or reliance on one party. There NEEDS to be base level T1D competencies at all schools.
3. If it is this hard to get the Department of Education to create policies that manage CHILDREN WITH DISEASE, imagine the difficulties faced in trying to get them to create any other policy. How is this not a priority? If the Department of Education does not prioritize vulnerable children, WHO IS IT PRIORITIZING?
Auditor General 2019 Report: