How Do You Make an Emergency Plan for Kids at School?

Start with your school's own emergency procedures, because during a lockdown or evacuation the school decides when and how students are released. Then decide who picks up each child if you can't, make sure those people are on the school's authorized pickup list, give your kids a written contact card, and practice what they should do in a way that fits their age.

What does your child's school already plan to do?

Every school has emergency procedures, and your family plan should fit around them. Ask the front office or check the district website for a few specifics. What happens during a lockdown, a shelter-in-place and an evacuation? Where would students go if they had to leave the building, and is there a separate reunification site? How will the school notify parents, and what will they ask you to bring when you pick up your child?

Many districts use a formal reunification process after a major incident. Parents go to a designated site, show ID, and students are released one at a time to adults on the approved list. It can feel slow, but it exists so that every child is accounted for and goes home with the right person. Knowing this ahead of time keeps you from driving to the school building during a lockdown, which can block emergency vehicles and won't get your child released any faster.

Who is allowed to pick up your child?

Schools will only release children to adults listed on the emergency card or authorized pickup list, and they usually check ID. Look at that list now. If both parents work far from the school, add at least one nearby adult, such as a neighbor, grandparent or friend, who could get there if roads are closed or you're stuck at work.

Talk to those backup adults and make sure they agree. Give them a copy of the relevant parts of your plan, including where they'd take your child and how to reach you. If there's a custody arrangement, make sure the school has current paperwork on file. Update the list every school year and whenever someone's phone number changes.

What should kids carry?

A contact card is the single most useful thing. Put it in a backpack pocket or wallet and include each parent's cell number, the backup pickup adult, your out-of-area contact, and your neighborhood meeting place. Many kids rely on a phone's contact list and don't know any numbers by heart, and the phone may be off, dead or confiscated during an emergency.

If your child has a phone, find out the school's rules for using it during a lockdown, since many schools ask students to keep phones silent. Teach older kids that a short text is more likely to get through than a call when networks are busy. For any child who takes medication during the day, work with the school nurse so there's a supply on site and the staff know the plan.

How do you practice without scaring them?

Keep it calm, short and matter-of-fact. Young children do best with a few simple rules they can repeat, like staying with their teacher, only going home with an adult on the list, and knowing one parent's phone number by heart. Practice saying the number out loud until it sticks.

Older kids can handle more. Walk them through your communication plan, with its primary method and fallbacks, so they know what to try if a call doesn't go through. Our quick-start guide to PACE planning explains how to set up those layers. Teenagers who drive or take themselves to school should know the neighborhood and out-of-area meeting places, and the routes between school and home.

A short drill once or twice a year is enough for most families. Pick a weekend, pretend the phones are down, and see whether everyone knows what to do next.

How do you keep everyone on the same plan?

The school plan is one piece of your larger family emergency communication plan. The hard part is keeping parents, older kids and backup adults on the same version as details change through the year.

In ReadyPlan, each family member gets the shared plan on their own account and device, so when you update a pickup arrangement or a phone number, everyone sees it. Plans store on the device after the first sign-in, so a teenager can open the plan at school even if the cell network is down. If your household wants a written copy for each person too, the Family Emergency Planning Kit includes four Contingency Planner Complete Kits and four ReadyPlan Lifetimes.

Common questions

Should I go to the school during a lockdown?

Generally no. Follow the school's and law enforcement's instructions, which usually tell parents to stay away from the building and wait for reunification information. Showing up can block emergency responders and won't speed up your child's release.

What if my child takes medication at school?

Work with the school nurse to keep a supply at school, and ask how it's handled during an evacuation or a long lockdown. Keep a written list of your child's medications, doses and allergies in your own plan as well.

At what age should kids have their own copy of the plan?

It depends on the child, but many families give kids their own simple contact card by early elementary school and a fuller copy of the plan by middle school, especially once they have a phone or move around on their own.

What if I can't reach the school during an emergency?

Phone lines at schools get overwhelmed quickly. Watch for official messages from the district by text, email and its website, and follow your own plan for who heads toward the reunification site.

To put your family's school plan where everyone can see it, try ReadyPlan with its 7-day free trial.