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TextChild Care Provider Emergency Preparedness
Keeping Children Safe in Your Home
Emergency plans are required for all child care providers who have a state license or a county permit. Careful planning will help you protect yourself and the children in your care during an emergency. Here are four things to keep in mind as you develop your plan:
1. Supplies
Keep three days’ worth of food, water, medicine and first aid supplies in your home at all times. Store them in one easy-to-carry container. Keep a smaller amount of supplies in a backpack in case you have to leave your home or child care center quickly.
2. Who to Call
Make sure you keep this information where you can find it quickly during an emergency:
- Work, home and cell phone numbers for parents of the children in your care.
- Names and phone numbers of relatives or neighbors who are authorized to pick up a child in an emergency.
- Names and phone numbers for the doctors of children in your care.
Make sure parents have all your phone numbers, and the names, addresses and phone numbers of relatives’ or neighbors’ homes where you would take children in an emergency.
3. Helping Children Deal With Emergencies
Practice fire drills with the children in your care, along with other actions they should take if an emergency happens. Also, if you don’t have a car, find out in advance how to take children to a safer place if there’s an emergency in your home. If an emergency does happen, remember to:
- Act calmly, but seriously.
- Tell the children what’s happening and what you’re going to do.
- Listen to their questions and answer them honestly.
4. Additional Resources
If you have a state license and you have questions about emergency planning, call 703-934-1505. If you have a county permit, call 703-324-8100. For more information about preparing for emergencies, please read this issue of our Update newsletter and look at this PowerPoint presentation.
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