H&H Child Care Training Center wants to help providers prepare for disasters.
Children and families count on caregivers to keep children safe when the unexpected happens. Natural and manmade disasters can happen anywhere and at any time. Millions of young children are in early childhood centers or homes on a daily basis. Making sure you are ready to keep yourself and the children in your care safe when a disaster strikes is of utmost importance.
Child care providers should practice shelter-in-place or lockdown drills as well as fire drills on a regular basis. Providers need to plan for emergency situations including medical crises, natural disasters, and threats of violence. Licensed facilities are required to have an Emergency Preparedness Plan. Plans should include preparing first aid and emergency supply kits, communicating with families, and meeting children’s needs during emergencies.
Important questions to consider when planning for a disaster:
- Do you have an emergency preparedness plan for disasters that are likely to occur in our area?
- How will you safely evacuate children to a safe, predetermined location?
- If there are children with special needs, how will you take this into consideration?
- How and when will you notify parents if a disaster occurs?
- If a parent cannot get to their child during or after the disaster, how will you continue to care for the child?
- Have you and your staff received training on how to respond to children’s physical and emotional needs during and after a disaster?
- Do you have a disaster kit or supply kit with enough items to meet children’s needs for at least 72 hours?
- Do the state and local emergency management agencies and responders know about your child care program and where it is located?
- After a disaster occurs, how will you notify parents about your plan to reopen?
H&H Child Care Training Center has a variety of online training courses to help providers prepare for the unthinkable.