Emergency Procedures for Child Care Settings in North Carolina
If you take care of three or more children who are not related to you during more than four hours a day and live in North Carolina, you may need to get a child care license. North Carolina child care providers must be prepared for emergencies because they can occur while children are under their care. Possible emergencies include storms, hurricanes, car accidents, fires or even terrorist attacks. If you follow state emergency procedures during such an incident, you could help save the lives of the children under your care.
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Emergency Plan
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All child care providers must prepare a written emergency plan for their facility. This plan should detail the steps the staff and children should take to prepare for an emergency as well as specific plans for evacuation from the facility. It should also include a list of items for first aid and emergency kits and guidelines about the procedures to be practiced during emergency drills.
Practice Drills
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Practice the steps you included in your emergency plan with regular drills so children can learn to respond quickly and safely. Carry out drills during different times of the day and in all types of weather. An emergency drill must include timing of the procedure, evacuation to the designated assembly location, accounting for all children in the facility and evaluation of the changes or improvements that must be made to the emergency plan.
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First Aid and Transportation
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In the event of a real emergency, child care facilities must have trained staff to provide first aid while emergency response teams arrive. An injured child will be transported to a local health care facility and the parents or tutors must be contacted as soon as possible. A member of the child care staff will travel with the patient and stay with the child until the parents arrive.
Training
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North Carolina child care facilities can train their staff in emergency procedures by enrolling them in the Emergency Preparedness and Response for Child Care training. This training is provided by the North Carolina Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center and is available to all state-licensed care givers.
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References
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