Child-Care Facilities: YIKES! Emergency Planning
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services, has developed a planning guide for child care providers, called Y.I.K.E.S.-- Your Inventory for Keeping Everyone Safe.
Here is the Introduction from the YIKES Planning Guide.
Links to the entire package of YIKES information are provided below.
People in Maine are no strangers to emergencies. In recent years, floods, ice storms and toxic spills from overturned trucks and railroad cars have required temporary closure, evacuation and relocation of children from child care facilities. In such emergencies children may or may not understand what is happening and may not be physically or developmentally able to rescue or protect themselves. Child Care programs that have followed the steps toward preparedness and planning are better able to protect lives and to return to normal operation in a shorter time period.
YIKES Planning Guide serves as a planning tool for Maine Child Care Programs. It provides basic preparedness and planning information that can be customized to fit the size and needs of your program.
All programs must have a written emergency response plan.
Here are three suggestions as you begin your planning:
- Emergency plans are only effective if they are used.
- Keep it simple so that people (you, staff, parents, town officials, etc.) will be able to recall the necessary steps when faced with an emergency situation.
- Make your plan easily available for reference.
- Practice. Practice. Practice. During emergencies, thinking shuts down and people act on instinct. Once you have your plan, practice your plan so that everyone instinctively knows the right things to do.
- Develop personal relationships with local town emergency managers, fire, law enforcement and public works personnel.
- These people would most likely respond to an emergency at or near your facility. They can assist you in your determination of potential disaster threats and hazards close to your program and appropriate responses.
- Your emergency response plan is a part of the larger plan your local Emergency Management Director maintains.
- You may want to consider your willingness to have your facility available to assist other children and families who may need immediate shelter. Additionally, there may be an immediate need to provide child care for emergency responders. If you are able to provide such assistance, notify town officials.
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