Page 44 - Choosing a Child Care Center

LETY CARVAJAL, M.ED.

creating a safe space for after-hours extracurriculars,
or making the site ready to evacuate in case of a
tornado—the policies will be built to fit a purpose.
From a feasibility perspective, policies should be
honest about what is achievable. Successful policies
are also preventative rather than reactive. They focus
on addressing issues before they occur, not after.
Policies should address all of the major primary
response protocols: lockout, lockdown, shelter-in-
place and evacuate. Policies should go even further
and should address how families are informed of
procedures, reunification after an event, and the
cadence of school-wide training.
Upon enrollment, all relevant emergency infor-
mation should be shared by the center, and children’s
emergency contact information should be confirmed
with family members. Don’t hesitate to ask to be
walked through main emergency drills that your child
will be regularly practicing/prepared for, such as an
evacuation, shelter-in-place, lockdown, and fire drill.
When sending your child off to child care, wheth-
er starting at a new school or kicking off a new school
year, a recommended parent health and safety check-
list to follow is:
When age appropriate, ensure children know
your personal cell phone numbers, their
home address, etc.

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