Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/code-blue!-establishing-a-child-care-emergency-plan/5010717/
The tragedy in Oklahoma City made our child care community painfully aware of the need for disaster planning. Although no plan could have made a difference in what the news called a "Code Black," most career directors will face at least one major emergency when damage can be minimized through "Code Blue" planning. Each year, we read in the paper of a tragedy that happened in child care; a baby dies of SIDS, a center closes after an abuse accusation, a bus or van is in an accident, or a child is abducted. Directors have often said, "I only had a few seconds to think before I acted. I wish I had had more time." Or, "If I had only had a chance to think about it in advance."Some centers have closed due to negative publicity, others have survived with difficulty, still others have managed the situation well. One significant difference can be having an emergency plan in place at the time of the Code Blue.
Although many other institutions do have such plans, few child care providers actually have a rehearsed disaster plan beyond the required fire drills and, in some locations, earthquake and tornado ...