Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Are You Prepared For An Emergency?
When choosing child care, parents put their child's safety and well-being at the top of the list of things to look for. They look for a caregiver who will offer a safe setting for their child. They look for a caregiver who will keep children's best interests in mind. A visit to a child care program may include talking with the provider about caregiver training; group size; daily activities; and safety guidelines such as hand washing, playground safety, and diapering practices.
But parents should also look for a program's emergency plan. If there is a disaster or emergency while their child is with a caregiver, they should know that the caregiver can protect the health and safety of their child.
NACCRRA, the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, has started a national child care disaster planning initative, the first of its kind. This is an effort to train providers, inform parents, and partner with local, state, and federal agencies to make sure that every child in child care is safe in the face of disaster.
Here are some things to talk about with the parents in regard to your disaster plan. Talk about the what, when, where and how of their emergency plan. Use the questions below, adapted from NACCRRA's parent brochure, What's the Plan?: Ask Your Child Care Provider Before a Disaster.
When choosing child care, parents put their child's safety and well-being at the top of the list of things to look for. They look for a caregiver who will offer a safe setting for their child. They look for a caregiver who will keep children's best interests in mind. A visit to a child care program may include talking with the provider about caregiver training; group size; daily activities; and safety guidelines such as hand washing, playground safety, and diapering practices.
But parents should also look for a program's emergency plan. If there is a disaster or emergency while their child is with a caregiver, they should know that the caregiver can protect the health and safety of their child.
NACCRRA, the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, has started a national child care disaster planning initative, the first of its kind. This is an effort to train providers, inform parents, and partner with local, state, and federal agencies to make sure that every child in child care is safe in the face of disaster.
Here are some things to talk about with the parents in regard to your disaster plan. Talk about the what, when, where and how of their emergency plan. Use the questions below, adapted from NACCRRA's parent brochure, What's the Plan?: Ask Your Child Care Provider Before a Disaster.
- Do you have an emergency plan in place? If so, provide the parents a copy. If not, you need to write one.
- In the event of severe damage to the child care facility, make plans for how the children will be taken to a new location. This place should be both safe and suitable for care to continue.
- Determine how lines of communication will be kept open. Make sure that you have the parents updated phone number and updated emergency contact information.
- Talk about what will happen if the child has to stay with you as a result of the emergency. If the parents are not able to pick theirr child up right away after the emergency, could you properly care for the child for 72 hours?
- Discuss any supply or disaster kits that your have. Do you have enough supplies to care for children for at least 72 hours? If there are not kits available, work with parents to make it happen.
- Share what training you and your staff have had related to continuing proper care in emergencies. Has anyone has had any special training to work with a child's physical and emotional needs at this time.
- Ask parents for help. Let parents help write an emergency plan or carry out a current plan.
- Talk about whether or not local emergency agencies are aware of your program and where it is located.
- Talk with the parents about how they will be notified when the program is re-opened.
For more information on disaster planning, and to download a free copy of What's the Plan?, visit NACCRRA's website at www.naccrra.org/parent/coping/disaster.php, or call 1-800-424-2246.
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 6:16 PM 
