When the Unthinkable Happens - post

Calling all Florida Early Childhood Educators! 

We here at ChildCareEd Child Care Training can provide you and your program with the necessary emergency preparedness training Buy Now $55.00$40.00 state and federal agencies require. Use our step-by-step Creating an Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Plan Buy Now $16.00 course to adapt templates to your center or family home. Click here to view our full course listings and register for your next class today. All our courses are IACET accredited and can meet Florida DCF training requirements (see What Is the Florida DCF 45-Hour Child Care Training Is?) for in-service hours.

 Natural and manmade disasters can happen anywhere and at any time. During the last decade, the United States has experienced an unprecedented number of emergencies and is liable to continue. When emergencies occur, those most vulnerable are our youngest citizens, children under 5 years of age.

Increasingly, children of this age are separated from their parents during the hours when emergencies may occur because they are in childcare settings. On average, during a normal work week, young children spend more than 36 hours a week in childcare. Regardless of whether they are licensed or unlicensed, large or small, center-based or a family childcare home, when a local, state, or national emergency occurs, a childcare program may be impacted. Childcare programs are particularly vulnerable to disasters since children at this age are not able to protect themselves from harm.

Parents and employers depend on childcare programs to protect the health, safety, and well-being of children when employees are at work. Communities depend on childcare, so emergency personnel will be available to protect residents during emergencies.   

Emergency preparedness training at work, at home, and in the community is everyone's responsibility.  Making sure you are ready to keep yourself and the children in your care safe when a disaster strikes is of the utmost importance. As a trusted and loved figure in children’s lives, you are also on the front lines of helping children recover and heal after disasters.

What Florida DCF requirements and licensing steps should programs follow for emergency preparedness?

Florida providers should align emergency plans with DCF licensing expectations: document staff training and drill schedules, record written reunification protocols, maintain medication authorizations and individual health care plans, and retain drill logs and incident reports for licensing review. Link program policies to DCF training-hour documentation and the 45‑hour pathway; see our articles How Can Florida Child Care Providers Prepare for Licensing Visits? and What Is the Florida DCF 45‑Hour Child Care Training? for examples, documentation checklists, and next steps.

What should an emergency preparedness plan for a child care program include?

An operational emergency plan is a risk-informed, written protocol that addresses prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery. At minimum, it should document: a site-specific risk assessment; evacuation and shelter-in-place procedures; a reunification protocol; staff roles and chains of command; medication and care protocols for children with chronic or acute medical needs; methods for record preservation and confidential family contact lists; communications with families and first responders; and a regular drill and review schedule. Use course-based templates to operationalize each section — for example, our Creating an Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Plan Buy Now $16.00 course walks through a step-by-step template you can adapt to your center or family home.

How can staff train and practice preparedness so responses are calm and effective?

Training must pair knowledge with repeated, realistic practice. Establish a training calendar that includes: at least quarterly evacuation drills, monthly tabletop exercises for scenario planning, annual reunification drills with families, and skills refreshers for pediatric first aid and CPR. Assign and rotate key roles (incident commander, family liaison, medication custodian, evacuation lead) so every staff member understands responsibilities. Consider blended options: the Stay Alert! Steps for Emergency Prep Buy Now $25.00 course provides procedure-focused competencies, while our Pediatric RSV First Aid & CPR/AED Buy Now $115.00 course ensures hands-on lifesaving skills. Embed documentation practices (incident logs, corrective action plans) so drills become verified training evidence for licensing reviews; see guidance on preparing for licensing visits in this site article: How Can Florida Child Care Providers Prepare for Licensing Visits?.

How should programs coordinate with families and emergency services?

Clear, pre-established communication channels reduce confusion and speed reunification. Maintain up-to-date emergency contacts, parental permissions for alternate release, and medical records in both digital and paper formats. Provide families with the program's reunification plan and a single emergency phone tree; hold at least one family-facing drill per year. Establish reciprocal relationships with local fire, EMS, and law enforcement; invite them to review site plans and run joint drills when feasible. For program-level policy context and examples of emergency planning across center types, see our article How can child care centers prepare for emergencies? and the Florida-focused overview: What new child care news in Florida should providers know?.

What steps support children's recovery and staff resilience after a disaster?

Recovery is both operational and psychosocial. Re-establish predictable routines, prioritize basic needs (food, sleep, safety), and use developmentally appropriate language when discussing events. Implement trauma-informed practices: normalize feelings, provide choices within routines, and reduce overstimulation. Document and refer families to mental-health supports when reactions are persistent or severe. Staff also need structured debriefs, clear time-off policies, and access to peer and clinical supports to prevent burnout. For a practitioner-focused perspective on resilience and the non-technical elements of preparedness, consult When the Unthinkable Happens...Be Prepared! Be Ready! (Third Edition), which emphasizes mental preparation and practical initiatives that strengthen recovery capacity.

Summary: What are the immediate next steps for Florida providers?

1. Review and document your current emergency plan; identify gaps using the course template in Creating an Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Plan Buy Now $16.00.
2. Schedule or update staff training (evacuation, reunification, pediatric first aid/CPR) and run at least one family-facing drill this year; consider Stay Alert! Buy Now $25.00 and Pediatric RSV First Aid & CPR/AED Buy Now $115.00.
3. Assign and rotate incident roles, document drills, and retain logs for licensing reviews (see our article on licensing visits).
4. Recovery plan: prepare staff debrief protocols and identify community mental-health referral sources.

Taking these steps now reduces risk, speeds recovery, and demonstrates to families and regulators that your program is prepared. If you want a compact training bundle for fast implementation, explore our related offerings and the 45-hour Florida training pathway referenced on site: Your Guide to the 45-Hour Child Care Courses Online in Florida and What Is the Florida DCF 45-Hour Child Care Training?.

Related ChildCareEd articles: Are We Ready? CPR and AED Preparedness for Florida Early Childhood Educators, How Can Educators Prepare to Become a Child Care Director in Florida? How Can New Florida Teachers and Directors Make Child Care Compliance Easier?

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