MedlinePlus is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Think of it as a really big medical library – filled with easy to understand information. This page of the site is all about type 1 diabetes, including useful illustrations, information about support groups, and tips on talking to your healthcare provider.

The American Diabetes Association is a leading nonprofit health organization dedicated to research, providing information, and advocacy efforts. This particular section of the Association’s site focuses on type 1 diabetes, which if often diagnosed during childhood. This is a great place to find basic information about the condition, treatments, complications, and common concerns. There’s also an “Ask the Pharmacist” section, and, of course, information about other forms of diabetes.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is a leading charitable funder and advocate for type 1 (juvenile) diabetes research. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Visit the “Life with Diabetes” section of this site to learn answers to frequently asked questions, find one-on-one support, and access fun and useful information designed just for children and teens (called “JDRF Kids Online”).

This is an online community for kids, families, and adults with diabetes. There are many different types of information and services available through this site including recipes, a calendar of upcoming events, personal stories from kids living with diabetes, news, humorous tidbits, and polls. There is some advertising for diabetes-related products on the site.

Kids’ Health is a Web site that offers doctor-approved health information for and about children. The site is divided into areas for parents, kids, and teens – so users can find exactly the level of information that’s right for them. The site comes from the medical experts at the Nemours Foundation, which is an organization set up by a very charitable individual. The Foundation is devoted to improving the health of children. A quick search (using the search box on the homepage) for information about diabetes comes up with information for parents, kids, and teens including healthy eating insights, recipes easy enough for kids to make, information in Spanish, and tips on dealing with diabetes.

This site was designed to help make diabetes less confusing and scary to kids. There is some information on the site but mostly it is a shopping site that sells products that can be used by kids to better understand diabetes and to help their friends, teachers, and loved ones understand the condition, as well. The products are educational and supportive. There are teaching materials, a game called “A Day with Diabetes,” diabetes-related coloring books, storybooks, and sugar-free treats.

The STARBRIGHT Foundation is dedicated to the development of projects that empower seriously ill children to combat the medical and emotional challenges they face on a daily basis. Of particular interest to teens is a private STARBRIGHT chat room just for teens living with medical conditions, like diabetes. The chat room connects teens so they can share their feelings about illness, tips on handling it, and just support one another. There are also videos and other products that parents can order for their children. A diabetes CD-Rom available for Apple computer users and another diabetes program is under development.

The Pump Girls is a pop music group consisting of three girls aged 15 to 18. The girls sing about boys, love, dancing, and overcoming challenges. They all have juvenile diabetes. One of their goals is to motivate other teens to deal with the challenges of the disease successfully. Visit the site to learn more about the girls and upcoming concerts, order a Pump Girls CD, download music, or find links to other useful diabetes Web sites.

The Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes is a large diabetes and endocrine care program in Colorado and is associated with the University of Colorado Medical School. The mission of the Center is to care for children and adults with type 1 diabetes, to conduct research, and to support work towards the prevention, cure, and understanding of the condition. Online, the Center provides the full text of Understanding Diabetes (an instruction manual for families regarding the management of diabetes) as well as book about diabetes for medical professionals. The site also provides information about upcoming meetings, research, and the Children’s Diabetes Foundation in Denver.

Parent-to-Parent is a network for families of children and adults with special needs. The network was created by the types of families it has set out to support. The network connects families in similar situations with one another so they can share stories and tips and also help each other. Visit the Parent-to-Parent Web site to learn more about the program, support groups, and to sign up for an events newsletter. While this site is for families in Pennsylvania, there is a link to a site that provides information about similar programs in other states.

This Web site is a place where people (either kids, teens, or their loved ones) can share their experiences with using an insulin pump for the management of type 1 diabetes in children. Visit the site to read personal stories from parents, doctors, school nurses, and kids. Share your story by sending the site an e-mail (scroll down on the homepage to find the address). Or, click on the appropriate links to learn what the insulin pump is all about.