Pediatric Diabetes Resource Center

The forms below will help you manage several aspects of your child’s diabetes, including tracking blood sugar, insulin and more.

• Blood Sugar Record
• Calculating Insulin Dose
• Diabetes Medical Management Plan
• Food Records
• Medical Report Form for Driver’s License
• Don’t Get Sick from Diabetes
• Sick Day Management
• Sample Section of 504 Plan
• 504 Plans

We offer a wide variety of events for both you and your child to take advantage of.

• Calendar

Our team has compiled this helpful list of resources for families navigating diabetes.

• Breakthrough T1D
• Calorie King
• Camp Hertko Hollow
• Children with Diabetes
• Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel
• Pump and Sensor Video
  • Islet Pump
  • Medtronic Pump
  • OmniPod Pump
  • t:slim Pump
  • Twiist Pump
• Trial Net

In accordance with the Illinois Care of Students with Diabetes Act, we provide training for school staff to become delegated care aides through our Diabetes Education Program. Delegated care aides are school employees who agree to receive training in diabetes care and to assist students in implementing their diabetes care plan.

Training is available in person on the first Wednesday of each month from 12:30-4 p.m. at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center or virtually on demand. The cost for this training is $45 per person. 

By law, delegated care aides must receive training from a licensed health care provider with expertise in diabetes. The training will cover topics such as blood sugar monitoring, carbohydrate counting, insulin dosing and delivery, hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia management, ketone management, diabetes documentation, psychosocial aspects and insulin pumps and sensors.

OSF HealthCare is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation (P-0807) to provide nursing continuing professional development.

Participants who attend the full in-person event, sign the roster, complete an evaluation, and demonstrate skills will receive 3.0 contact hours. Those attending the full online session and completing an evaluation will receive 2.6 contact hours.

For questions, call (309) 624-2480 or email diabetescenter@osfhealthcare.org.

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No - A healthy, well-balanced diet that includes all the important food groups (whole grains, vegetables, fruits, milk/dairy and protein-rich foods like meat and beans) is the best way to support your child’s overall health. 

Most children with diabetes are encouraged to eat until they're satisfied, so there’s no need to limit carbohydrate intake unless there’s a specific need. If your child requires a tailored plan for managing weight or carbs, our dietitians at the PDRC will work with you to create a personalized plan that meets your child's unique needs.

Yes! Physical activity is great for all children, and it's especially important for managing diabetes. Regular exercise can boost your child’s overall health and helps keep blood sugar levels in check. Our dietitians and nurses at the PDRC are here to guide you on how to safely incorporate sports and physical activities into your child’s routine, while also teaching you how to prevent low blood sugars during exercise.

This number is how much the serving size of that particular food weighs (in grams) if put on a food scale. It is not the number of carbohydrate grams. You will always need to go to the “Total Carbohydrate” line on the label to find the carb grams.

Children with diabetes can still enjoy an occasional treat. With accommodations, they should be able to participate in the same activities as their peers, including school parties and celebrations.

To maintain your child’s insulin levels, you may wish to ask a staff member to check the labels on treats or have your child take them home to eat later. Our team can guide you on how to use nutrition facts from food labels with tools like CalorieKing to determine carbohydrate amounts.

There are three options for this situation

1. You can go to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services website and apply for All Kids. Even if you have insurance, you may still qualify for the Kid Care rebate or one of the other programs.
2. ou can call Partnership for Prescription Assistance at 1-(888) 477-2669 or visit their website.

If your child complains that the insulin is burning under the skin after injection, it may be helpful to rub the area immediately after to increase circulation.

If you find that shots are hurting, there are a few techniques that might help:

• Try numbing the site with ice before the injection.
• Have your child take a deep breath, exhale and inject/insert the pump site immediately after they have completely exhaled.
• For small children, you may be able to distract them by proposing a challenge. Ask them to sing a song all the way through before the injection/pump site insertion is complete.
   

You can offer to check their blood sugars, count carbohydrates, give shots or insert their pump sites for them to give them a break and recharge their diabetes care batteries! Just like adults, kids can get tired of managing their diabetes and may need a little break now and then.