Even Bob Hope had an emergency plan: “I keep an earthquake emergency kit in my house,” he once said. “It’s filled with water, food, and a half a dozen writers.”
According to a new poll, a lot of parents (35 percent) have no idea what their child’s day care or preschool emergency plan entails — or if they even have one. The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital network also reveals that only 65% of parents say their child’s center has a plan for “rapid communication (text, email, or cell phone) of an emergency evacuation plan to parents.”
This doesn’t mean that preschools and child-care centers are unprepared. As one of the poll’s researchers put it, “Many centers may be well-prepared to handle these types of events, but emergency plans are much less likely to work if parents don’t know about them.” Clearly, parents need to get proactive about what to do just in case, and youngsters’ facilities must make a solid plan and share it.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has outlined emergency-preparedness standards for child-care centers and pre-schools. You can find the information at www.aap.org; search for “child providers, disaster preparedness standards.” It covers the need for disaster planning, food and water, first aid and other emergency supplies, training, communication with parents and evacuation drills. So no excuses, Mom and Dad. Make sure your child’s care facility or school has a complete emergency plan, and make sure you know what it is, too.
Kinderland does have an Emergency Disaster Plan for the center. It is posted on the first door leading into the office with a floor plan of the center next to it. There are two sites that are temporary relocation sites should the center have to be evacuated:
Shady Oaks Montessori 1410 Victor, Redding, CA 96003 530-222-0355
Redding Christian Church 2157 Victor, Redding, CA 96003 530-222-3425
If you have any questions about the plan, feel free to ask Mrs. Susan Wilson for details.