Safety Plans for Kids

Creating a safety plan for your children gives them an advantage during any emergency situation. Discuss these situations with them, but be patient as they work through the information. Make sure that they know where they can go and whom they can call in the event of these emergencies. A little preparation can go a long way.

  1. Phone Numbers

    • Help your children memorize a few important phone numbers. Include both parents' numbers, 911 and at least one other number of someone close to the family. These are a lot of phone numbers for them to memorize, so be patient with them. Write these numbers, as well as other useful numbers, on cards that your children can keep with them. Even if they memorize these numbers, trauma or stress can lead to forgetting them during an emergencies. Make sure that they know how to locate this card in an emergency and that they feel comfortable calling them.

    Call Plan

    • Work out a specific call plan with your child. Include a specific order in which they will call the numbers on the card. Explain that your child should call 911 in the event of violent situations or emergencies. They should call you first if they are lost, and if something happens to you they should call 911 first.

    Address

    • Help your children memorize your home address and include this address on the cards your children will carry. If your children are lost or stranded, this address helps them tell the police where they live. They can even just hand the card to any law-enforcement or emergency personnel when they arrive.

    Close Neighbor or Relative

    • Talk to a trusted neighbor or relative who lives nearby. Teach your children to go to this person's house in case of violence or intrusion into your home. Make sure that it is someone they trust and feel comfortable going to during an emergency.

    Electronics

    • Consider purchasing a mobile phone for your kid. Cell phones allow you to store a list of emergency phone numbers in one place. The ability to track the cell phone can give you updates on your child's location and allows you to stay in constant contact. If you choose a plan that allows them to enjoy the phone and keep in contact with their friends, it can help guarantee that they keep the device on them.

      Do not use a mobile phone as a replacement for the information card or memorizing emergency numbers. In the event of a dead cell battery or damaged phone, they must have this information on them physically.

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