Emergency Planning for Households with Children

Children are both a vulnerability and an asset in household emergency planning. Without preparation, a child's fear and confusion can significantly slow an emergency response. With preparation, children know what to do, can act independently if separated from adults, and are significantly less likely to panic.

The goal is not to frighten children with emergency scenarios — it is to give them knowledge and practised routines that make emergencies manageable. Children who understand what will happen are far calmer when it does.

Why Children Need Specific Planning

Child's Vulnerability	Why It Matters in an Emergency
May not understand what is happening	Fear, paralysis, or flight response
Cannot read emergency information	Dependent on adults for instructions
May be separated from parents (school, activity)	Cannot navigate to family without plan
Developmental differences in risk perception	May underestimate or overestimate danger
Physical limitations	Cannot carry full weight; slower evacuation pace
School-age children in care	Emergency may occur when not at home

Age-Appropriate Emergency Knowledge

Under 3 Years

Children under 3 cannot be expected to follow emergency procedures. Planning focuses entirely on adult preparation:

• Adults must know the child's location at all times
• Child carrier must be accessible and in the go-bag area
• Emergency bag must include infant supplies (see go-bag article)
• Assign a specific adult responsibility for the infant in the household plan

Ages 3–5

Children this age can learn simple, repeated information:

• Their full name
• A parent's full name and phone number (to say aloud — not to dial)
• The household meeting point ("under the big tree"; "in front of Mrs Johnson's house")
• One rule: "If something scary happens, go to [meeting point] and wait for me"
• Practice with role play — not frightening scenarios

Ages 6–10

Children this age can learn and use more information:

• Their full home address
• At least one parent's phone number (practised until memorised)
• What emergency services numbers are (999 in the UK; 911 in the US; 112 internationally)
• The household near meeting point and distant meeting point
• What to do if they smell smoke (get out; do not stop for belongings; go to meeting point)
• Basic instructions for specific household risks (gas smell: don't touch switches; go outside)

⚠️ Phone number memorisation is a critical skill. If a child's phone is dead, lost, or broken, they must be able to recall a parent's number from memory to ask a stranger, official, or emergency service to call. Practise this regularly — it takes weeks of repetition to truly embed.

Ages 11 and Over

Older children can be full participants in the household emergency plan:

• Know the full evacuation plan and all meeting points
• Know the out-of-area contact name and number
• Know where the go-bag is and how to use it
• Understand the basic plan for different scenarios (fire, flood, evacuation)
• Assign them a specific role — looking after a younger sibling, grabbing the go-bag, or calling the out-of-area contact

Teaching the Plan — Not the Fear

The framing of emergency preparation determines whether a child finds it reassuring or frightening.

Reassuring framing:

• "We're learning what to do if something unexpected happens — like how we practise fire drills at school"
• "This is our family's plan so everyone knows what to do and we can find each other quickly"
• "You'll know exactly what to do, so you won't need to worry"

Avoid:

• Detailed descriptions of disaster scenarios
• Probability or likelihood of specific events
• Anything that implies danger is imminent or that the adult is uncertain

Children take emotional cues from adults. A calm, matter-of-fact approach to planning communicates that this is normal and manageable.

Fire Drill Practice

Fire is the emergency most likely to require rapid household response with children. Practise:

1. Signal — what does the smoke alarm sound like? Practice recognising it.
2. Stop, drop, check door — touch the door before opening; if hot, do not open
3. Route out — primary and secondary exit from each bedroom
4. Meet — the near meeting point; all go there; do not go back inside
5. Call — who calls 999/911 (a specific person, not "someone")

Conduct a practice drill at least once per year. Make it calm and routine — it is a skill practice, not a test.

What to Do If Separated

Children must know what to do if they are separated from adults during an emergency:

Age Group	Instruction
Under 6	Stay in one place; call out; go to the meeting point
6–10	Go to the meeting point; if no adult there, find a trusted adult (police, teacher, shop staff) and give your name and parent's number
10+	Go to meeting point; call out-of-area contact; follow plan

Universal rule: "If we get separated, go to [meeting point]. I will come there. If I cannot come, I will send [name] to collect you."

Children must understand that they should stay at the meeting point rather than searching for the adult. An adult searching for a child will always go to the meeting point. A child wandering while searching makes reunification much harder.

Children at School During an Emergency

If an emergency occurs while children are at school:

1. Schools have their own emergency protocols — in most scenarios, children should remain at school until collected by an authorised adult
2. Do not attempt to collect children during an active emergency — school staff are managing hundreds of children; an adult arriving during a lockdown or evacuation adds complexity
3. Know the school's reunification protocol — most schools have a specific reunification location (not the school gate) and an ID check process
4. List authorised collection adults — update the school when this list changes
5. Your children's school contact in your phone — the main number, and if available, the emergency reunification line

Go-Bag Items for Children

Item	For Whom	Why
Small comfort toy or familiar object	Under 8	Reduces anxiety in displacement
Medication and medical summary	Child with medical needs	Essential for emergency care away from home
Nappies and formula	Infants	3-day supply
Snack foods they will eat	All ages	Familiar food reduces stress; keeps energy up
Copy of custody order or parental authority document	Relevant households	ID for non-parent carer
Child's school photo	All ages	Identification if separated

Household Emergency Plan — Child Section Template

The household plan should include a specific section covering children:

Item	Recorded
Each child's full name and date of birth
Child's school name and phone number
School emergency reunification process (location, ID required)
After-school care provider contact
Emergency authorised collection adults (name + relationship)
Child's medical conditions and medications
Child's phone number (if applicable)
Out-of-area contact name and number known by child

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Quick Reference

Age Group	What They Should Know
Under 3	Adult responsible; infant in plan
3–5	Name; parent name; meeting point; one rule
6–10	Address; parent number (memorised); 999/911; near + distant meeting point
11+	Full plan; out-of-area contact; go-bag location; assigned role
All ages	Meeting point; do not search — wait; tell a trusted adult if alone
School-age	Know school reunification process; list authorised collection adults