My son was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and if you know, you know that suddenly every part of the day has to be thought through differently. We have a blood glucose monitor at the house, and we have one at school, but then there is that hour-long bus ride where he is away from me and still needs to be safe. That in-between time matters, and too many families are left figuring it out on our own.

This is bigger than my child. Kids with type 1 diabetes do not stop needing care because they step onto a school bus. Families should not have to hope nothing happens during a long ride, and children should not be put in a position where they have to manage a blood sugar issue without the supplies they need close by. For parents, that is not a small gap. It is a major safety issue.

I am calling on school districts to require a clear diabetes safety plan for bus transportation, including access to blood glucose testing supplies during school bus rides, training for the adults responsible for student safety, and procedures that actually reflect what families deal with in real life. If a district can plan for students in the classroom, it can plan for students on the way there and back too. Transportation must be treated as part of the school day, not an exception.

If you believe kids with type 1 diabetes deserve to be safe every step of the school day, please sign this petition. Let’s make sure no parent has to choose between sending their child to school and worrying about what happens on that long ride when they are away from us.