Some children need medical or health-related support during the school day in order to attend safely.

That might include diabetes support, anaphylaxis safety support, asthma inhaler support, toileting or diapering, seizure response, medication administration, feeding support, catheterisation, mobility support, or help following a medical safety plan.

When a school says it cannot provide that support, the effect can be immediate and serious. A child may be sent home, kept on reduced hours, excluded from field trips, told they cannot attend unless a parent comes in, or placed in a situation where attendance depends on the family providing unpaid support during the school day.

One family reported that the mother had to stay close to the school at all times, as substitutes were not trained in administering EpiPens.

That is not just an inconvenience. It meant that she wasn’t able to work.

If a child needs medical support to attend safely, refusal or delay can become a barrier to education.

Start with the access question

The key question is:

What support does my child need in order to attend, participate, and remain safe at school?

Try to describe the issue in access language.

For example:

• My child cannot attend full days unless diabetes support is available.
• My child cannot safely participate in school without an anaphylaxis plan.
• My child is being excluded from school because staff say they cannot support toileting or diapering.
• My child’s asthma plan is not being followed.
• My child cannot attend field trips because staff say they cannot manage medication.
• I am being asked to come to school to provide care the school should be planning for.
• My child is missing learning because the school has not arranged training, delegation, or a health support plan.

This language matters because it keeps the focus on the barrier, not on whether the child is “too complex.”

Medical support can be accommodation

A child with a medical condition, disability, chronic illness, or health-related need may require accommodation to access education.

That accommodation may include:

• a written health or medical care plan;
• staff training;
• emergency response planning;
• medication storage and access;
• staff support for monitoring or administration;
• toileting or personal care support;
• nursing consultation or delegation where required;
• field trip planning;
• supervision during meals, exertion, or known risk periods;
• communication between home, school, district, and health professionals;
• backup plans when the usual trained staff member is absent.

The school does not have to become a hospital. But the school does need to take active steps so the child can safely access education.

BC health authorities recognise that students with severe medical conditions may require emergency intervention by school staff, and that families work with schools to ensure children with medical or life-threatening conditions receive appropriate care at school. Health authorities also note that each district may have its own forms and planning process.

Ask for the plan, not just reassurance

If the school says “we are looking into it” or “staff are not comfortable,” ask for the plan in writing.

You can ask:

• What medical or health plan is currently in place?
• What district policy applies?
• What forms are required?
• Who is responsible for coordinating the plan?
• What training is required?
• Who will be trained?
• What happens if the trained staff member is absent?
• What support will be provided while training is being arranged?
• How will field trips, outdoor activities, PE, meals, recess, and emergencies be handled?
• How will parents be notified of concerns or incidents?
• What is the timeline for full attendance?

The issue is not whether the school is “trying.” The issue is whether your child can attend safely and meaningfully.

Examples of medical barriers

Here are some examples of barriers that families talk about regularly:

Diabetes and insulin support

A student with diabetes may need support with blood glucose monitoring, insulin, snacks, activity planning, emergency response, or recognising low or high blood sugar. BC has provincial standards for supporting students with type 1 diabetes in the school setting, and Diabetes at School identifies BC’s provincial standards as the relevant policy resource for this area.

Questions to ask:

• Is there an individual diabetes care plan?
• Who is trained to support it?
• What happens during PE, recess, lunch, field trips, exams, or lockdowns?
• What happens if blood sugar is low or high?
• Can my child access supplies when needed?
• What is the backup plan if the trained person is absent?
• Is my child missing class time because care is not organised?

Anaphylaxis and EpiPen access

BC has an Anaphylaxis Protection policy and an Anaphylaxis Protection Order requiring boards to have policies and procedures for anaphylaxis in schools. The provincial policy says its purpose is to support boards in preventing serious reactions and deaths due to anaphylaxis.

Questions to ask:

• Is there an anaphylaxis emergency plan?
• Where is the epinephrine auto-injector stored?
• Who can access it?
• Who is trained to use it?
• How are substitutes, lunch supervisors, bus staff, field trip staff, and coaches informed?
• What prevention steps are in place?
• What happens if symptoms appear?
• How are incidents documented and reviewed?

Asthma support

Asthma can affect attendance, participation, physical activity, field trips, and emergency planning. Some children need access to inhalers, activity adjustments, symptom monitoring, or emergency response planning. BC health authorities identify asthma as one of the medical conditions schools may need to plan for.

Questions to ask:

• Is there an asthma action plan?
• Can my child access their inhaler when needed?
• Are staff trained to recognise worsening symptoms?
• What happens during PE, outdoor activities, smoke events, field trips, or respiratory illness outbreaks?
• What is the emergency plan?
• Is my child being excluded from activities instead of supported to participate safely?

Toileting, diapering, and personal care

Some children need toileting support, diapering, hygiene support, catheterisation support, menstrual care support, or other personal care during the school day.

This can be sensitive because schools may frame it as a staffing issue, a readiness issue, or a reason the child cannot attend full days.

Questions to ask:

• What personal care support does my child need to attend school?
• Who is responsible for providing it?
• Is this support written into the IEP, health plan, or care plan?
• What privacy and dignity protections are in place?
• What happens if the assigned staff member is absent?
• Is my child being sent home or kept on reduced hours because personal care is not arranged?
• What is the plan and timeline for full attendance?

A child should not lose access to education because adults have not arranged necessary personal care.

If the school says staff cannot do it

Sometimes schools say:

• “We do not have staff trained for that.”
• “Our staff are not allowed to do that.”
• “That is a medical procedure.”
• “You will need to come in.”
• “We cannot take responsibility.”
• “Your child can attend once this is sorted out.”
• “We need more time.”
• “They may need a reduced schedule.”
• “They are not ready for full days.”

Some of these issues may require proper training, delegation, health authority involvement, or district planning. But delay still needs a plan.

Ask:

What is the process for arranging this support, who is responsible, and what interim support will be provided so my child does not lose access while adults organise the plan?

If the school says support cannot be provided, ask for that decision and the reasons in writing.

If you are being asked to come to school

Some families are told they need to come to school to give insulin, change a diaper, administer medication, respond to asthma symptoms, or manage another health-related need.

Sometimes a parent may choose to help temporarily because they are protecting their child. That is understandable.

But if the child cannot attend unless the parent is available, the school may be transferring the access burden onto the family.

You can write:

I am willing to assist temporarily while the school arrange hi there, hey how’s it going?s appropriate support. However, my child’s access to education cannot depend on my ongoing availability during the school day. Please confirm the plan and timeline for school-based support.

This keeps the distinction clear: you may help in a crisis, but you are not the service delivery model.

If reduced hours are suggested

Reduced hours may sometimes be a short-term safety measure chosen by the family or recommended while a plan is arranged. But reduced hours should not become the default solution to missing medical support.

Ask:

• Is this voluntary or required by the school?
• What specific medical support is missing?
• What is the plan to provide it?
• What is the return-to-full-attendance timeline?
• How will missed instruction be addressed?
• Who is responsible for arranging training, delegation, or staffing?
• What happens if the timeline is missed?

A reduced schedule without a return plan can become informal exclusion.

What to document

Keep records of:

• your child’s diagnosis or medical need;
• medical letters, care plans, prescriptions, emergency plans, or specialist recommendations;
• the date you told the school;
• what support you requested;
• what forms were completed;
• what the school said it could or could not do;
• who was supposed to follow up;
• training or delegation timelines;
• missed school, reduced hours, early pickups, or missed activities;
• times you were asked to attend school to provide care;
• incidents, symptoms, near misses, or emergencies;
• any refusal to provide support;
• any statement that your child cannot attend because support is not available.

The record should show what the school knew, what support was needed, what response was given, and how your child’s access was affected.

A sample email

Subject: Medical support needed for school attendance

Dear [name],

I am writing because [child’s name] requires medical / health-related support during the school day in order to attend safely and access education.

The support needed is [brief description: insulin support, blood glucose monitoring, anaphylaxis plan, EpiPen access, asthma plan, toileting/diapering support, medication administration, etc.].

At this point, [child’s name] is experiencing barriers to attendance/access because [describe what is happening: support is not in place, I am being asked to come to school, my child is being sent home, my child is on reduced hours, field trips/activities are being limited, staff say they cannot provide support].

Please confirm in writing:

1. what health, medical, or care plan is currently in place;
2. what district policy or process applies;
3. who is responsible for coordinating this support;
4. what training, delegation, or health authority involvement is required;
5. what interim support will be provided while the plan is being arranged;
6. the timeline for full implementation; and
7. how the school will ensure [child’s name] can attend and participate safely.

I am concerned that lack of medical support is creating a barrier to [child’s name]’s access to education. Please respond by [date].

Sincerely,
[name]

When to escalate

It may be time to escalate if:

• your child is missing school because medical support is not arranged;
• the school says staff cannot provide support but offers no timeline;
• you are repeatedly required to come to school;
• your child is excluded from activities or field trips;
• reduced hours continue without a return plan;
• there is no written care plan;
• staff are not trained;
• emergency medication is not accessible;
• the school will not put its position in writing;
• your child has experienced a medical incident or near miss;
• the plan depends on one staff member and there is no backup.

Possible escalation routes may include the principal, district inclusive education or student services staff, superintendent, school board complaint or appeal process, Ombudsperson, Human Rights Tribunal, OIPC for records issues, or emergency services/medical complaint pathways where there is immediate risk.

The bottom line

Medical support is not separate from educational access.

If a child needs insulin, an EpiPen plan, asthma support, toileting or diapering support, medication, or another health-related intervention to attend safely, the school needs a plan.

The question is not whether the child is too complex.

The question is what support is required, who will provide it, how staff will be trained, what happens in an emergency, and how the child’s access to education will be protected while the adults work it out.