Emergency Preparedness Part 2

What is an Emergency Preparedness Plan?

 To understand why it is essential to capture your entire plan in writing and ensure everyone is on the same page, you will want to understand what an emergency preparedness plan is and why it matters. An emergency preparedness plan is a series of documents created to ensure that your child care business will continue to operate as needed in the event of an emergency or disaster. These documents clearly outline the steps and procedures needed to minimize disruptions in care and prioritize the safety of the children and staff in the event of an emergency.

Often during an emergency, people may feel overwhelmed. Having a well-written, thorough plan (that everyone knows about!) can help your employees feel more confident in their actions. Most importantly it can ensure that you and your team are ready to provide support and ensure safety for children and families during stressful times.

How do I create an Emergency Preparedness Plan?

 An emergency preparedness plan can take some time to develop, but it is important to complete. When creating a plan, set a realistic deadline for completion to keep yourself accountable. Also, consider having a small team of other staff members, if you have them, and parents or caregivers who could help you think through the procedures as you write them.

A plan can be created in five steps:

Step 1: Assess your business for areas of risk

First, brainstorm through the types of potential natural disasters or emergency situations that could affect your child care operation. For example, is your business prone to certain natural disasters that would require an evacuation like floods or hurricanes? Do you live in an area that is at risk for extended loss of heating/AC, water, or power? Also consider the unexpected extended absence of management, a public health crisis, a security threat, or other unexpected situations.

Next, you want to determine how likely they are. You can create a simple table and have a probability of high, medium, and low. For each type of situation first write one line about how you would address it. Typically, there are two scenarios – staying put and getting out. For example, if you have concerns about a violent parent, you are likely going to stay put, lock the doors, and limit entry. In other situations, like a power outage, fire, or a flood you may want to get out of the building. Likely you will find that most, if not all, the scenarios will require one of these two responses. If they don’t you can create new ones.

It is difficult to address every potential issue. In the least, you want to focus on the high probability risks. Additionally, you could cover medium and low probability ones using the same responses (such as stay put or get out).

Step 2: Create a process for emergencies

You will want to write down the steps to take in an emergency. The simpler you can make it, the better, so people can keep it clear in their heads during an emergency. Typically, the process should start with sounding an alarm and end with verifying that all the children are where they should be (either in the building or at an evacuation point outside the building). If you can, having a flow chart may help.

As part of this process, clearly document both the on-site and off-site evacuation locations, as well as shelter-in-place locations. Remember to also document secondary routes to the evacuation locations in case primary routes are blocked. For your off-site evacuations, be sure you have thought out and included instructions on how children will be transported to off-site locations. Some questions to consider are:

• Do you need buses or vehicles?
• If you provide care for infants or children with special needs, how will you transport them?

In terms of your location, the plan should also include an emergency evacuation and relocation diagram with:

• A floor plan of your home or center, two exit paths from each room, unless a room opens directly to the outdoors at ground level;
• The designated location outside of the child care home or center where all caregivers and children meet to ensure everyone has exited the building safely;
• Plans for parent or caregiver pick up; and
• The designated location inside the building where all caregivers and children will take shelter.

You will want to make sure that your plan includes (and you follow up on getting) any needed supplies and a list of each child, their parent or guardian and contact information as well as any allergies, medications, or other special care needs. You should also have phone numbers for all staff members, passwords for important online systems, contact information for property managers or landlords, a list of all approved repair companies, such as plumbers, electricians, pest control companies, and account numbers for financial institutions and utility services. The more sensitive information may be kept separately with limited access to staff.

Designate at least one person on your team as the person in charge if you are not available. If you have staff, this could be an assistant director, administrative assistant, or trusted lead teacher. Choose someone that is willing and able to take charge in an emergency and make sure that person is trained on the protocols of how each situation should be handled if you are not present.

Keeping physical copies of the emergency preparedness plan (in addition to digital ones) allows for easier accessibility in instances where electronic access may not be possible. It also allows for the plan to travel with the person in charge should they need to move to another location. To create your binder, you should gather all your documents in a way that preserves their order and keeps the pages safe. An easy way to do so is to invest in a 3-ring binder where you can use plastic sheet protectors for easy organization. Your binder should have designated sections for each component of your emergency preparedness plan – like chapters in a book. Creating a table of contents is a great idea and will help your employees find the sections they are looking for. It is recommended that you keep two printed copies of your emergency preparedness plan along with one saved on your computer and another at an off-site location. This way, for example, if you have a home fire that destroys the print copies and your computer, you still have a copy. When creating your emergency preparedness plan, it is important to remember that it should be written in the language or languages needed so that anyone within your business can easily understand the actions to take either during an emergency or in your absence.

Step 3: Share the Plan

Sharing your plan with all staff members is very important. Even if an employee is not the designated person in charge, everyone should be very familiar with your emergency preparedness plan. It is recommended that you make the review of your emergency preparedness plan part of your onboarding process with all new staff and that employees review the plan at scheduled intervals, at least yearly. An easy way to do this is to review the plan with everyone during a staff meeting. After review, each person should sign off that they have reviewed and understand the emergency preparedness plan. Make sure you provide time for staff members to ask questions or provide suggestions if they have them.

Communicating how emergencies will be handled with parents and families is essential. This information should be documented for families in your child care parent contract in a section about your emergency preparedness plan upon enrollment. When reviewing with families, stress your notification plan to explain how you will communicate with them during and after emergencies and make them aware of all evacuation locations.

Step 4: Hold Drills and Revise Your Plan

It is important to practice evacuation and shelter-in-place drills on a regular basis.

• Follow state licensing and other applicable regulations for drill frequency and type (in many cases, this is monthly)

• Involve all children who are present at the time of the practice drill in the drill;

• Give children simple instructions and talk about what is happening; and
• Complete a drill log.

Emergency preparedness plans should be reviewed at least yearly for accuracy, and updated accordingly as staffing changes occur. It is a good idea to consult with emergency services when creating or making changes to the emergency portion of your plan, as they can provide valuable feedback and suggestions.

To help you in the preparation of your plan we have included checklists based on the minimum standards for home and center child care businesses in Texas.

Next Steps

Having a written and well-organized emergency preparedness plan can make all the difference during emergencies. Protecting the children in your care, as well as your staff, is your number one priority and your emergency preparedness plan will play an important role in ensuring their safety. While it may be hard to imagine a disaster striking and affecting your business, having an emergency preparedness plan in place will bring peace of mind to you, your staff, and your families. Once you have your plan developed, it is time to take the steps to implement it. For more on this topic, see Emergency Preparedness Part 2: Being Ready for an Emergency.

Attachment B: Checklist for A Texas Emergency Preparedness Plan for a Home-based Child Care Business

Note: this is current as of May 2, 2023. Please check with Child Care Regulation for any revisions.

• The plan addresses the types of responses to emergencies most likely to occur in your area including:
  • An evacuation of your home to a designated safe area in an emergency such as a fire or gas leak;
  • A relocation of the children and caregivers to a designated, alternate shelter in an emergency such as a flood, a hurricane, medical emergency, or communicable disease outbreak; and
  • The sheltering and lock-down of children and caregivers within your home to temporarily protect them from situations such as a tornado, volatile person on the premises, or an endangering person in the area.
• Includes written procedures for:
  • Evacuation, relocation, and sheltering/lock-down of children, including:
    • Your first responsibility in an emergency evacuation or relocation is to move the children to a designated safe area or alternate shelter known to all household members, caregivers, parents, and volunteers;
    • How children will be evacuated or relocated to the designated safe area or alternate shelter, including specific procedures for evacuating or relocating children who are under 24 months of age, who have limited mobility, or who otherwise may need assistance in an emergency, such as children who have mental, visual, or hearing impairments;
    • An emergency evacuation and relocation diagram as outlined below;
    • The caregivers' responsibility in a sheltering/lock-down emergency for the orderly movement of children to a designated location in your home where children should gather;
    • Name and address of the alternate shelter away from the home you will use as needed; and
    • How children in attendance at the time of the emergency will be accounted for at the designated safe area or alternate shelter.
  • Communication, including:
    • The emergency telephone number that is on file with the state; and
    • How you will communicate with local authorities (such as fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, health department), parents, and the state;
    • How you will evacuate and relocate with the essential documentation including:
      • Parent and emergency contact telephone numbers for each child in care;
      • Authorization for emergency care for each child in care; and
      • The attendance record information for children in care at the time of the emergency;
      • How you will continue to care for the children until each child has been released; and
      • How you will reunify the children with their parents as the evacuation, relocation, or sheltering/lock-down is lifted.
    • An emergency evacuation and relocation diagram must be on file at your child-care home and must show the following:
      • A floor plan of your child-care home;
      • Two exit paths from each room, unless a room opens directly to the outdoors at ground level;
      • The designated location outside the child-care home where all adults and children meet to ensure everyone has exited the home safely; and
      • The designated location inside the home where all adults and children take shelter from threatening weather.

Attachment B: Checklist for A Texas Emergency Preparedness Plan for a Center-based Child Care Business

Note: this is current as of May 2, 2023. Please check with Child Care Regulation for any revisions.

• The plan addresses the types of responses to emergencies most likely to occur in your area including:
  • An evacuation of your center to a designated safe area in an emergency such as a fire or gas leak;
  • A relocation of the children and caregivers to a designated, alternate shelter in an emergency such as a flood, a hurricane, medical emergency, or communicable disease outbreak; and
  • The sheltering and lock-down of children and caregivers within your center to temporarily protect them from situations such as a tornado, volatile person on the premises, or an endangering person in the area.
• Includes written procedures for:
  • Evacuation, relocation, and sheltering/lock-down of children, including:
    • Your first responsibility in an emergency evacuation or relocation is to move the children to a designated safe area or alternate shelter known to all household members, caregivers, parents, and volunteers;
    • How children will be evacuated or relocated to the designated safe area or alternate shelter, including specific procedures for evacuating or relocating children who are under 24 months of age, who have limited mobility, or who otherwise may need assistance in an emergency, such as children who have mental, visual, or hearing impairments;
    • An emergency evacuation and relocation diagram as outlined below;
    • The caregivers' responsibility in a sheltering/lock-down emergency for the orderly movement of children to a designated location in your center where children should gather;
    • Name and address of the alternate shelter away from the center you will use as needed; and
    • How children in attendance at the time of the emergency will be accounted for at the designated safe area or alternate shelter.
  • Communication, including:
    • The emergency telephone number that is on file with the state; and
    • How you will communicate with local authorities (such as fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, health department), parents, and the state;
    • How you will evacuate and relocate with the essential documentation including:
      • Parent and emergency contact telephone numbers for each child in care;
      • Authorization for emergency care for each child in care; and
      • The attendance record information for children in care at the time of the emergency;
      • How you will continue to care for the children until each child has been released; and
      • How you will reunify the children with their parents as the evacuation, relocation, or sheltering/lock-down is lifted.
    • An emergency evacuation and relocation diagram must be on file at your child-care Center and must show the following:
      • A floor plan of your child-care center;
      • Two exit paths from each room, unless a room opens directly to the outdoors at ground level;
      • The designated location outside the child-care center where all adults and children meet to ensure everyone has exited the center safely; and
      • The designated location inside the center where all adults and children take shelter from threatening weather.

Taking the steps to prepare for an emergency will help you make sure you have the tools and the practices you need to keep your children, families, and staff safe. For more information on capturing your emergency plan in writing, see our guide on Emergency Preparedness Part 2: Creating a Child Care Emergency Preparedness Plan link - Part 1 Link

 Additional Resources

Depreciation

Self-Assessing Your Taxes Online

Time/Space Calculation

Prorating Costs

Cash Flow Workbook

Profit and Loss Statement

Disclaimer: The information contained here has been prepared by Civitas Strategies Early Start and is not intended to constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. The Civitas Strategies Early Start team has used reasonable efforts in collecting, preparing, and providing this information, but does not guarantee its accuracy, completeness, adequacy, or currency. The publication and distribution of this information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client or any other advisory relationship. Only noncommercial uses of this work are permitted. Reproduction of this information is expressly prohibited.