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Preparing for Emergencies in Head Start: [Policies, Procedures, and Forms At a Glance]
 

Head Start programs must have policies in place to manage child health emergencies. This chart summarizes emergency information for Head Start directors and health managers.

The following is an excerpt from Safety First: Preventing and Managing Childhood Injuries.

Preparing for Emergencies in Head Start: [Policies, Procedures, and Forms At a Glance]

Policies
Procedures
Forms
Comments
First Aid
  • Bites, bleeding, burns, choking, cuts, eye injury, fractures, head injury, heat stroke, poisoning, stings, unconsciousness
  • Injury Report
  
Medical Emergencies
  • Posting emergency phone numbers
  • Protocols and medications for bee stings, asthma, seizures, other
  • Emergency medical assistance (911)
  • Emergency transport and caregiver to accompany child to emergency care
  • Injury Report
  • Child Health Information/Emergency Protocols
  • Emergency Contacts
  • Emergency Transport Permission
  • Emergency Treatment Consent
  
Dental Emergencies
  • First aid for broken/knocked out tooth, cut lip or tongue
  • Injury Report
  • Emergency Transport Permission
  • Emergency Contact
  • Emergency Treatment Consent
  
Emergency Contacts
  • Posting emergency phone numbers
  • Police, Fire, Ambulance, Poison Control, Child Protective Services (CPS)
 
Evacuation Plans
  • Evacuation procedures for fire, natural disaster, power failures
  • Exit signs posted and evacuation routes marked
  • Disaster preparedness kits for classroom
  • Fire Drill Records
  • Recharging Fire Extinguishers
 

Preparing for Emergencies in Head Start continued

Policies
Procedures
Forms
Comments
Transporting Children
  • Daily transport to and from program, field trips, to hospital
  • Emergency Transport Consent
  
Notifying Parents
  • Emergency phone numbers
  • Emergency Contact
  
Medication Administration
  • Administering medications: drops, inhaler, liquids, tablets
  • Original container, administration, storage, documentation
  • Health Provider Prescription
  • Parent Consent to Administer Medicine
  • Medication Log
  • Symptom Record
  
Supervision
  • No child left unattended
  • Adult:Child ratios
  • Supervision while using bathroom
    
Safety
  • Persons authorized to pick up child
  • Dealing with non-custodial parent attempts to claim the child without consent of custodial parent
  • Dealing with intoxicated parent
  • Reporting suspected child abuse and neglect
  • Parental Authorization for Picking Up Child
  • Child Protective Services (CPS) Report
  
Inflicted Injuries (biting/hitting)
  • Discipline protocol
  • Injury/Incident Report
  
Precautions for Blood and Body Fluids
  • Infection control guidelines for gloves, handwashing, cleaning, disinfecting
  • Reporting blood exposures and obtaining medical evaluation
  • Incident Report
  • Medical Referral
  
Preparing for Emergencies in Head Start: [Policies, Procedures, and Forms At a Glance]. Safety First: Preventing & Managing Childhood Injuries. Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community. DHHS/ACF/ACYF/HSB. 2000. English.


Last Updated: June 4, 2009