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• Types of emergencies/disasters that should be covered in Emergency Response Plans
• Lost or missing child.


• Abuse (sexual or physical) or neglect of a child.


• Abduction by non-custodial parent.


• Injuries requiring medical or dental care.


• Serious illness requiring hospitalization


• Natural disasters such as flood, tornado, blizzard, earthquake.


• Human threats such as a bomb threat or a hostage situation.


• Fire or power/water failure.



• Your child's emergency contact information should include:
• Child's full name, date of birth, special health care needs such as allergies.


• Names and phone numbers of primary caregivers and back up contacts, including one out-of-state contact in case of city-wide or state-wide disaster.


• Names and phone numbers of medical and dental providers.


• Names and phone numbers of preferred hospitals.


• Copies of current insurance or Medicaid cards (black out part of the Social Security Number if you are concerned about identity theft).


• Medications.


• Parent/guardian signatures authorizing emergency care.



• Ways that caregivers should PREPARE for an Emergency Response
• Develop plans for different types of emergencies such as fire, tornado, flood, blizzard or earthquake.



• Have enough staff (or backup) in place that a caregiver can accompany a child to emergency medical/dental care and remain with the child until the parent arrives.



• Have fully stocked first aid kits, (click for a list) and other emergency supplies:


• Their location is known to all adults.


• Readily available yet inaccessible to children.


• Re-supplied following each incident.


• Contents reviewed and updated regularly.


• Have information on closest emergency medical/dental care facility.


• Location, hours.


• Know two routes to facility (in case one is not accessible).


• Develop planned response to illness requiring hospitalization, death of a child enrolled in the facility, or death of a caregiver.



• Identification of a spokesperson to present accurate public information.



• Develop arrangements for ongoing support after an emergency.



• Have a 48 hour supply of food and water kept in stock for each child and staff member.



• Provide a telephone that does not rely on electricity and plugs directly into the phone jack (i.e. old telephone or inexpensive, plug-in phones which don't require batteries).



• Prepare Emergency Backpacks that are "ready to go":


• For larger programs, there should be a backpack for each group.


• Potential Contents:


• Emergency information for children and staff, medication, first aid supplies, flashlight, portable radio, extra batteries, Mylar "space blankets", bottled water and comfort items as space allows.


• Develop a plan to use additional transportation supplied by volunteers, additional staff, or neighbors.



• Sample Disaster Plans
• Child Care Emergency Management Plan (Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency & Office of Child Care Services)

http://www.eec.state.ma.us/docs/TAEmergencyPlanningGCCSACC.pdf


• YIKES Your Inventory for Keeping Everyone Safe (Maine Office of Child Care and Head Start)

http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/ec/occhs/yikesplanning.pdf


• Ways that caregivers and children can PRACTICE procedures for Emergency Preparedness
• Caregivers need to stay current with First Aid and CPR training. (States will vary on specific training requirements and time frames for such training - see State Licensing requirements.)



• Children and caregivers practice evacuation drills regularly, and when new children or staff join the program.



• Children and caregivers know at least two ways to exit the building.



• Emergency equipment is regularly tested and restocked or replaced.



• Caregivers know of at least two evacuation location sites (one nearby, one farther away) and at least two ways to reach the alternate sites.



Immediate Area Threat: leave building and gather close by. Pick a safe place. Will the area be safe in all circumstances?

More Widespread Threat: leave building and neighborhood, pick a safe, accessible spot, seek permission of owner, manager, school principal etc. Address method of transportation. If staff are transporting decide beforehand who will go with whom.

Major Evacuation: leave building and evacuate a larger area. Emergency Personnel will want to know if you need transportation, best to have your own and know which staff will go with which children to maintain supervision. Red Cross will designate mass shelters.


• Prepare guidance for parents about an off-site evacuation location before an emergency occurs.


• Notify parents what local radio station will have updates.


• Make a map from the child care facility to the site; add address, phone number and other vital information, such as the director's cell phone number.


• Make enough photocopies of the emergency map for each family to have one.


• Prepare an "emergency mailbox" outside the facility; tell parents where it is.


• If evacuation is needed, place photocopies in the emergency mailbox as you leave.

Note: Caregivers must have telephone lines open for emergency calls. Resist calling the program. Try to avoid immediately driving to the child care program. Streets need to be free for emergency vehicles.


• Other Issues to Consider
• Is emergency lighting in place?



• How long will it take for children to reach the exits?



• Are there any potential hazards such as large furniture, dividers etc. that become hazards in the dark?



• Are there places a frightened child might want to hide in? (Doors, closets, other rooms, etc.)



• Is there a procedure in place for taking needed medications in case of evacuation (e.g. reminder note on outside of the first aid kit)?



• Does the program have a phone tree system for contacting you, if necessary?



• Have you given the program written permission to transport your child in an emergency?