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Preparedness: Making Your Emergency Response Plan

Working together and communicating what to do during an event is essential. Understanding everyone’s role during an emergency before the emergency occurs helps make the response procedure quicker and more efficient. Establishing responsibilities can be addressed during training sessions and planning meetings before an emergency or drill, to ensure staff are comfortable with the procedures.

Questions to consider:

• Who will alert staff and children about an emergency?
• Who is responsible for taking the emergency kit?
• Who will count heads and take attendance?
• Who will communicate with families?
• Who will work with first responders?

Answers to these questions will help define responsibilities around what needs to be done during an emergency, so children and adults can proceed safely.

There are many types of emergencies. In some situations, you may need to safely evacuate (example: fire). However, there are other emergencies, when it’s best to shelter in place (example: tornado or severe weather) or lockdown (example: danger in your neighborhood).

The key to remember is that each is a method to put effective barriers between you and a threat. The difference is in the types of threat and what kind of barrier is called for.

Evacuating is a means to leave a dangerous situation or area (e.g., because of a fire).

Sheltering in place is the use of a structure and its indoor atmosphere to temporarily separate you from a hazardous outdoor atmosphere (e.g., tornadoes, earthquakes, severe weather, landslides, or debris flow). It entails closing all doors, windows, and vents and taking immediate shelter in a readily accessible location.

A lockdown is a shelter-in-place procedure that is used in situations with intruders or emergencies that involve potential violence. Lockdown requires children and adults to shelter in a safe room, lock doors, and remain quiet until the event is over.

If you are in a child care or Head Start center, use the worksheets, Evacuation Response in Centers, Shelter-in-Place Response in Centers , and Lockdown in Centers to help answer those questions and formulate your emergency response plan. Follow the steps and assign roles to staff for each type of emergency response that your program may experience.

If there is only one adult in a family child care home, use the worksheets, Evacuation Response in a Family Child Care Home, Shelter-in-Place Response in a Family Child Care Home, and Lockdown in a Family Child Care Home , to help formulate your emergency response plan. If there are multiple adults in a family child care home, use the worksheets for Center-Based Programs to define roles of adults in the program during an emergency.

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Last Updated: December 18, 2019

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Child Care Emergency Preparedness

Emergency preparedness for child care programs is important because there is a good chance an emergency will happen at some point. In an emergency, child care providers are on the front lines to keep children and staff safe.

Emergency Plans

Emergency plans are an important tool in knowing what to do in the event that an emergency happens while children are in your care. Creating an emergency plan gives child care providers an opportunity to think of how to respond to various scenarios before they happen.

This is an emergency scene including both a fire engine and an ambulance.

Emergency plans are required by some entities, such as:

• State licensing
• Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS)
• Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)
• Head Start Performance Standards
• Accreditation Standards

Caring for Our Children National Health and Safety Performance Standards Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs (4th edition)suggests that facilities should develop and implement a written plan that describes the practices and procedures they use to prepare for and respond to emergency or disaster situations. Their suggested emergency plan components include:

• Information on disasters likely to occur in or near the facility, county, state, or region that require advance preparation and/or contingency planning
• Plans (and a schedule) to conduct regularly scheduled practice drills
• Mechanisms for notifying and communicating with parents/guardians in various situations
• Mechanisms for notifying and communicating with emergency management public officials
• Information on crisis management
• Identification of primary and secondary meeting places and plans for the reunification of parents/guardians with their children
• Details on collaborative planning with other groups and representatives
• Continuity of operations planning
• Contingency plans for various situations

There are many emergency plan templates available to use as a reference. Make sure you are using your state’s required plan template if one is available.

Emergency Plan Templates

• Involving Children in Emergency Prep – Child Care Aware® of America
• Involving Children in Emergency Prep (Spanish) – Child Care Aware® of America
• Creating a Written Emergency Plan Video Series – Child Care Aware® of America
• Emergency Preparedness Manual for Early Childhood Programs – National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness
• The California Child Care Disaster Plan – University of California San Francisco
• Multihazard Planning for Child Care online course – FEMA

Webinar: Let’s Get Ready – Planning Together for Emergencies

Evacuation/Shelter-in-Place

The type of emergency determines how you should react.

You will need to evacuate when conditions are safer outside the building than inside the building. Sometimes after an evacuation, you are unable to return to your site and must relocate. It is important to have an initial relocation site in addition to back-up relocation sites; one within walking distance and another outside of the area.

In certain emergencies, it is best to make sure everyone is safe inside and to isolate children and staff from the outside environment. The need to shelter-in-place should be based on notifications from local emergency officials or weather forecasts.

Access the Spanish “Go vs. No-Go” resource, here .

Practice Drills

It is important to practice evacuation and shelter-in-place drills on a regular basis.

• Follow state licensing and other applicable regulations for drill frequency and type
• Practice drills should be held regularly
• Involve all children who are present at the time of the practice drill in the drill
• Give children simple instructions and talk about what is happening
• Complete a drill log

The UCSF California Childcare Health Program has Sample Emergency Disaster Drills available to review.

Child Care Aware® of North Dakota has a Child Care Program Emergency Drill Log available.

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Developing an Emergency Preparedness Plan

(for Center Directors) Emergency situations can happen at any time. Child care facilities need to have a written plan in place, so staff, children, and families are prepared to handle any emergency situation that may arise. This lesson is a guide to assist you in developing an emergency preparedness plan for your facility. (2 hours)

View the course for free in On Demand

• Learn step by step how to write an emergency preparedness plan for a child care center or group home.
• Learn what is required to be covered in an emergency preparedness plan for your facility.
• Discover ways to notify parents about the plan, how to inform your staff about it, and where to store the completed written emergency preparedness plan.

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Preschool Emergency Procedures and Preparedness Plans

Ensure the safety of your children and staff by creating an emergency preparedness plan.

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Early childhood education helps children reach developmental milestones and learn critical skills. While preschool and childcare programs focus on building these skills, providers and staff are also responsible for ensuring the health and safety of the children daily and in case of an emergency. Most childcare centers are required to have emergency policies and procedures in place to execute when appropriate.

In this article, we’ll discuss some essential preschool emergency procedures, why they’re necessary, and how to conduct emergency drills.

What is an emergency preparedness plan?

An emergency preparedness plan is a step-by-step guide to ensure that the people in a childcare center including children and staff are safe before, during, and after an emergency. Creating this plan can help providers address and reduce health and safety risks before they happen. An emergency preparedness plan can be one part of your center's larger risk management plan to help you protect your business and minimize potential risks related to emergency situations.

Most childcare centers across the country are required to obtain licensing based on requirements set by their state childcare divisions. These provisions often state that centers must develop, implement, and maintain written policies and procedures for responding to emergencies . 

When creating preschool emergency procedures, consider the following factors before outlining your plan:

• The age of the children
• The physical and mental abilities of the children
• Whether your center provides care for non-ambulatory children
• The types of disasters or emergencies likely to affect your area
• The requirements of your local fire and safety departments

Use this information to guide you as you create the following two suggested emergency plan components:

Responsible parties

It’s important that your emergency plan identifies the staff members responsible for implementing the plan and ensuring the safety of the children. Examples of how to include responsible parties in your emergency plan are to decide who will:

• Place emergency calls to the police and fire departments
• Make emergency announcements to warn other building occupants and summon staff
• Account for children and ensure no one leaves a room or designated safe area
• Lead relocation of children during evacuations, including children with special needs
• Contact families and notify them of plans to assist with reunification

Policies and procedures

The written plan will also provide a step-by-step guide that details actions to be taken in the case of medical and non-medical emergencies, evacuations, and lock-down procedures. 

Medical and non-medical emergencies are situations that could pose a threat to your children and staff. These situations include fire, carbon monoxide exposure, bomb threats, missing children, or environmental emergencies like a tornado or flood. Evacuations are often conducted if a disaster or emergency could cause damage to the facility or endanger the people inside. Lock-down procedures need to be determined for situations that may harm the people inside the building such as an active shooter, hostage incident, or trespassing.

Your policies and procedures can also include collaborative planning details with other groups, access to emergency information, and your plans for conducting emergency drills. A tool like brightwheel’s incident report feature enables you to easily log incidents, send emergency alerts, and gives you easy access to child and staff records including emergency contact and health information.

The necessity of emergency preparedness

Planning for emergencies is especially important for any childcare provider because you’re responsible for your children’s safety and well-being. Proper health and safety training for childcare providers is a great place to start, but your preschool also needs specific action plans for health, safety, and environmental issues. Emergency preparedness is necessary to protect you, your staff, and your children from harm. It also develops an overall culture and environment of safety, minimizes class disruption, and ensures a quicker recovery after incidents.

Creates a safe environment

Once you create emergency plans for different situations, document them and clearly communicate them to your staff, children, and families. When everyone at your center understands the plans for an emergency, it creates an environment where everyone is prepared to act and play their part. Also, having the right supplies and items contributes to that environment because the center has everything you might need to handle an emergency.

Minimizes risks

There’s no way to ensure your preschool never experiences an emergency, but being prepared is the only way to mitigate overall risk. For example, part of your emergency preparedness plan could be ensuring staff always have immediate access to an EpiPen for children with allergies, including during outside play or field trips. So, in the case of accidental allergen exposure, being prepared decreases any risk of the child experiencing a reaction without access to their EpiPen.

Ensures quicker recovery after incidents

A thorough emergency preparedness plan includes what to do in case of an incident and what to do once it has been resolved. Some situations will require all children to be picked up or all staff to go home; others will allow the rest of the day to resume as normal. Having a clear plan for what needs to happen post-emergency helps make the process smoother and faster.

Emergency action plan template

As you create your preschool’s action plan, include how to be prepared before an emergency, how to act safely during an emergency, and what to do after an emergency. Outline procedures for staff to take care of their class and simple directions for the children. Also, add any relevant policies and emergency contact forms for each child to ensure you can contact their family as quickly as possible during an incident.

You can also reference a template that features common elements of an emergency action plan to inspire you to think of everything you may need to include in yours. You can personalize one to fit your preschool’s needs and make changes depending on things like how many staff members are available, which children are in your care, and where exits are located. Review the following templates as you create your own emergency action plan. 

National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness

The 2020 edition of the Emergency Preparedness Manual for Early Childhood Programs , published by the National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness, offers helpful information on emergency preparedness, response, and recovery, and many useful templates as you build your emergency action plan. The manual starts with an emergency preparedness self-assessment questionnaire before moving on to the “What Types of Emergencies Could Your Program Experience?” worksheet seen above. The manual also includes templates for emergency community contacts, reunification procedures, and evacuation responses.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

While this example wasn’t created exclusively for childcare centers, the CDC has created an Emergency Action Plan Template that can suit any facility. The sample forms in this template include: 

• Emergency personnel contact information forms
• Local department contact information for police, fire department, paramedics, and ambulance
• Utility company emergency contacts (e.g. electric, water, gas, and telephone)
• Emergency reporting and evacuation procedures

To ensure you’re adding safety measures to your policies and procedures, the CDC’s Emergency Action Plan template features step-by-step measures you can take in the event of an emergency. The emergencies this template covers include a medical emergency, fire emergency, extended power loss, chemical spill, and severe weather and natural disasters.

UCSF California Childcare Health Program

The UCSF California Childcare Health Program created the Emergency Plan Library , an extensive resource of forms and templates for building an emergency action plan. It includes a child emergency information form, a damage assessment tool, and an emergency disaster drill log.

The emergency disaster drill log above prompts the user to state the type of drill and the date and time it took place. Additionally, it leaves notes for improvement to be provided by the administrator of the drill. The Emergency Plan Library stresses the importance of drills by providing samples of drill procedures for earthquakes, fires, floods, lockdowns, and shelter-in-place emergencies.

Emergency drill

After spending the time to create an emergency plan, you’ll need to provide training to children and staff to make sure that everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency.  Emergency drills are practice situations that help increase the preparedness of the staff and children at your center. It can confirm whether your plan is reliable and reveal any areas for improvement. Use the information below to help you practice emergency drills at your center.

Teach your children about emergencies

To practice emergency drills with the children in your preschool or daycare, they must understand what an emergency is. Teach them about medical and non-medical emergencies. Teach them about environmental emergencies like earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods. As you help your children prepare, describe what they’ll see, hear, and experience. Explain that while the drill might have slightly different conditions, the plan is to treat it like it’s real.

You can also use this time to tell them what not to do during an emergency like pushing, shouting, or talking to other children. Walk them through how long drills typically take with a reminder that they’re only temporary.

Use examples

It might be challenging for a child to grasp the concept of emergencies through words. Use examples or stories to illustrate them. For example, you can use the spaghetti tornado scene from the animated film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs . It’s a child-friendly way to introduce an emergency like tornadoes. The film also creates the opportunity to demonstrate and discuss what not to do.

Stay calm and positive

Children are more in tune with people’s emotions than adults typically give them credit for. They can sense stress and anxiety through tone and attitude. During the drill, speak calmly and stay positive. This will help them understand your instructions and stay calm.

Practice regularly

Most states require childcare centers to conduct emergency drills every three months or twice a year. This ensures that the procedure is easily recalled by staff and children. As you practice your drill, consider these five components:

• Notification: Tell the children that a drill is about to happen and to listen for any identifying noise that will prompt the start of the drill. Explain the actions that you’ll take during the drill.
• Action: Execute the actions in your emergency plan. This might include evacuating the building, collecting the appropriate documents or disaster supplies, or taking attendance of the children.
• Communication: Role play and practice how you’ll communicate with outside parties. In emergencies, you might need to use a portable battery or hand-assisted radio to listen to announcements or turn your cell phone on silent or vibrate. You can also role play how you would provide status updates to families or call 911.
• Care and supervision: Follow your established procedures for the care and supervision of the children. This includes procedures to help children stay quiet, assisting children or staff with special health care needs, and addressing children’s nutrition and hygiene needs.

Improve your safety

You can never be too prepared in the face of an emergency. Emergency preparedness plans are an irreplaceable tool in childcare centers that help ensure the safety of children and staff. Taking the steps to create thorough procedures will help you prepare for a crisis, respond to the event, and recover in the aftermath of a real emergency.

Emergency Contact Form Template

A free, printable emergency contact form.

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Tracey Campanini, Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development & Early Learning

Issue Date: April 19, 2022 Effective Date: April 19, 2022 Updated: March 11, 2024 End Date:  N/A

To update policy on federal requirements for Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the expectation for all certified child care facilities operating under 55 Pa. Code Chapters § 3270, § 3280, and § 3290 for compliance.

The following appendices are included in this announcement:

• E mergency Plan Certification Requirements: OCDEL Guidance Chart  (PDF)
• Emergency Plan Delivery Document (form CD 355)   (FILLABLE PDF)
• Documentación de la Entrega del Plan de Emergencia (formulario CD 355)  (FILLABLE PDF)
• Emergency Drill Log (form CD 356)  (FILLABLE PDF)
• Registro de Simulacro de Emergencia (formulario CD 356)  (FILLABLE PDF)

This announcement replaces Announcement: C-10 #01 Emergency Plan Regulations and Requirements for Child Care Facilities in its entirety.

The reauthorized CCDBG states that the lead agency’s duty and responsibility to demonstrate how the State, Territory or Tribe will address the needs of children, including the need for safe child care, before, during and after a state of emergency declared by the Governor or a major disaster or emergency (as defined by section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §5122) through a Statewide Disaster Plan. The Statewide Disaster Plan must include all requirements outlined in 45 CFR § 98.16(aa)(2).

As such, changes have been made to Department of Human Services (DHS) Pennsylvania Statewide Child Care Emergency Plan. The plan identifies and communicates the processes and supports for child care providers in the event an individual, local, regional, or statewide emergency or disaster occurs. It outlines recommendations for planning preparedness, response, and recovery from a disaster, and the role the office will play in providing supports. The plan provides guidance regarding certified child care provider types (Child Care Centers, Group Child Care Homes and Family Child Care Homes) and information relevant to all other early learning programs in terms of recommendations and resources. 

Find the updated plan on Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS)’s website .

This announcement addresses new certification requirements for all child care facilities to have all components of emergency preparedness and response planning as outlined in 45 CFR § 98.41(a)(1)(vii), including the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

Changes to Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning Certified child care facilities are required to have all components of emergency preparedness and response planning as outlined in 45 CFR § 98.41, including the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is a federal law enacted in 1988, designed to bring an orderly and systematic means of federal natural disaster assistance for state and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens. The Act includes procedures for evacuation, relocation, shelter-in-place and lock down, staff and volunteer emergency preparedness training and practice drills, communication and reunification with families, continuity of operations, and accommodations of infants and toddlers, children with disabilities, and children with chronic medical conditions.

As such, changes have been made to the following DHS child care regulations in 55 Pa. Code Chapters § 3270, § 3280, and § 3290 which now require emergency plans to include:

• 55 Pa. Code § 3270.27(a)(1); § 3280.26(a)(1); § 3290.24(a)(1), provision for shelter of children during an emergency including lock-down shelter-in-place at the facility and shelter at locations away from the facility premises.
• 55 Pa. Code § 3270.27(a)(5); § 3280.26(a)(5); § 3290.24(a)(5), provision for accommodations for infants, toddlers, children with disabilities and children with chronic medical conditions.
• 55 Pa. Code § 3270.27(a)(6); § 3280.26(a)(6); § 3290.24(a)(6), emergency drills shall be conducted annually. Annual emergency drills shall be documented and on file at the facility.
• 55 Pa. Code § 3270.27(c); § 3280.26(c); § 3290.24(c), each facility person shall receive training regarding the emergency plan at the time of initial employment, on an annual basis and at the time of each plan update. The date of each training and the name of each facility person who received the training shall be documented in writing and kept on file at the facility.
• “Initial employment” is within 90 days of hire.
• 55 Pa. Code § 3270.27(f); § 3280.26(f); § 3290.24(f) the operator shall send a copy of the emergency plan and subsequent plan updates to the local municipality and to the county emergency management agency.

Note: DHS certified child care operators must include all facility persons in the emergency plan. Each facility person’s role in the emergency plan must be consistent with their current qualifications and responsibilities.

Effective December 19, 2020, citation for non-compliance with emergency plans have been issued under 55 Pa. Code § 3270.27; § 3280.26; § 3290.24.

In addition to meeting the 55 Pa. Code § 3270.27; § 3280.26; or § 3290.24 requirements, certified child care facilities must ensure they are compliant with the federal requirements at 45 CFR § 98.41(a)(1)(vii) relating to health and safety requirements.

To maintain full compliance with 45 CFR § 98.41(a)(1)(vii), child care facilities must have requirements for volunteer emergency preparedness training, practice drills and continuity of operations included in their emergency plan.

1 CFOC Standards Database | National Resource Center (nrckids.org)

Additional Clarification for 45 CFR § 98.41(a)(1)(vii)

Volunteer emergency preparedness training includes adding all volunteers to the required facility person emergency plan training outlined in 55 Pa. Code § 3270.27(c); §3280.26(c); § 3290.24(c). This training is provided by the certified child care owner/operator.

According to Caring for our Children (CFOC)1, continuity of operations planning includes, backing up or retrieving health and other key records/files and managing financial issues such as paying employees and bills during the aftermath of the disaster.

The Office of Child Care (OCC) State Capacity Building Center (SCBC) developed an Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Resources for Child Care Programs Resource Guide that states, a contingency plan or contingency fund can help you strategize how you will pay for repairs, pay staff, and continue to run your business after a disaster or emergency. Having a plan ensures you are not caught off guard when a disaster or emergency strikes your area, which can make a difference in the recovery of your business.

Beginning July 1, 2022 , non-compliance with federal requirements at 45 CFR 98.41(a)(1)(vii) will constitute a violation of 55 Pa. Code § 3270.14, § 3270.21, §3280.14, § 3280.20, and § 3290.18, all pertaining to compliance with “pertinent laws and regulations” and “general health and safety.”

Note: Child care facilities do not need to rewrite their entire emergency plan; only update and add the sections that address the federal and state regulatory requirements.

Documentation to Demonstrate Compliance for Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning

DHS certified child care facilities must retain documentation of the initial emergency plan submission to the appropriate local and county emergency management agencies as well as updates made by the facility during review of the emergency plan. In the event that the local and county emergency management agencies do not provide receipt of the submission, the Emergency Plan Delivery Documentation (form CD 355) was developed to assist in measuring compliance and assist child care facilities in maintaining proof that the child care facility submitted their emergency plan.

• Certified mail receipt
• Fax receipt with date and time successfully sent
• Copy of sent email with date and time

To assist child care facilities in complying with the regulatory requirements, OCDEL has provided Emergency Plan Certification Requirements: OCDEL Guidance Chart (See Appendix A) and created two forms:

• Emergency Drill Log (form CY 356) – Contains pertinent information child care facilities must use when conducting and documenting the emergency drill. Access to the form is available on the DHS website at Emergency Drill Log.
• Emergency Plan Delivery Documentation (form CD 355) – Developed to assist in measuring compliance and assist child care facilities in maintaining proof that the child care facility submitted their emergency plan.

The use of these forms are not required, but the required information in the documents must be included in any plan developed by the provider. DHS certified child care operators must maintain documentation of this information which will be subject to review by certification staff at the time of inspection.

The citations for non-compliance with documentation to demonstrate compliance for Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning requirements will be issued under 55 Pa. Code § 3270.27(a)(6); § 3280.26(a)(6); § 3290.24(a)(6) and 55 Pa. Code § 3270.27(f); § 3280.26(f); § 3290.24(f).

Updated Emergency Plan Templates and Toolkit

To assist child care facilities in the updates or development of their emergency plan OCDEL, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and Better Kid Care (BKC), revised the existing Emergency Plan Templates and Toolkit.

Child care facilities developing an emergency plan for the first time are encouraged to use these templates as a guide. These templates allow child care facilities to customize a plan while adhering to regulatory requirements.

The updated templates are now available on the BKC and PEMA websites. The updated PEMA Toolkit which can be used to access child care safety information is located on PEMA’s website under community planning/school safety can be found here .

Additional Resources Available

• Child Care Emergency Planning Guide is a generic guide intended to assist in meeting the requirements for emergency planning and response.
• Child Care Emergency Basic Plan is a customizable document allowing providers to create an individual emergency plan providing for the care and wellbeing of children and staff. It includes customizable fields for providers to complete regarding specific locations, staff responsibilities and procedures. It provides an outline for providers in the development of an individualized plan.
• Child Care Emergency Checklist provides a way to document who oversees specific tasks during an emergency. It also contains a list of considerations and step-by-step activities to be conducted in the event of an emergency.
• Lock Down Annex describes courses of actions to be taken in the event of a possible imminent threat. Procedures, steps, and communication are described as part of this document.
• Additional Supporting Documents includes important documentation of phone numbers, contacts, procedures, and other customizable templates for use in the event of an emergency.

Certified child care facilities must:

• Read this Announcement and share with appropriate staff.
• By June 30, 2022, update emergency plans to comply with the updated regulatory requirements. Child care facilities are not required to rewrite entire emergency plans, only update sections that address the regulatory changes.
• Send and document submission of initial emergency plan and all updates to their local municipality and county emergency management agency.
• Train all facility persons in all aspects of their emergency plan and document training.
• Maintain documentation of the annual emergency drill(s).
• Ensure all child care staff have completed and documented the required health and safety trainings for emergency preparedness and response planning outlined in Announcement C-22-02 Updates to Health and Safety Training and Professional Development Requirements
• Direct all questions and comments to your Regional Office.

Comments and Questions regarding this announcement should be directed to the child care provider’s Regional Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Certification Regional Office of Child Development and Early Learning

• Central Region 800-222-2117
• Northeast Region 800-222-2108
• Southeast North and Southeast South Region 800-346-2929
• Western Region 800-222-2149

View full announcement as a PDF .

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Charlie Bear's Child Care

Our team creates a safe, nurturing learning environment..

In an environment of nurturing care, children grow in confidence and learn developmentally appropriate skills to create a life-long love of learning. Charlie Bear’s Child Care is a dynamic program that provides early-learning opportunities for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and preschool-plus children of Gritman Medical Center employees and the local community.

Quality Education and Care

At Charlie Bear’s Child Care, we provide children warm, responsive, individualized care. We partner with parents and families to create a caring circle in which children are secure and nurtured. Our teaching staff applies curriculum and play-based learning activities. Children spend their day in a nurturing, safe and happy environment that promotes natural curiosity and desires.

Accreditation and Licensing

Charlie Bear’s Child Care is licensed and inspected annually by the City of Moscow’s Health and Welfare Department. We comply with all requirements for a licensed child care center.

We strive for excellence according to the professional standards set forth by the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale. We are committed to meeting these national standards of quality education.

In addition to following all state and federal regulations, Charlie Bear’s Child Care participates in the Idaho Stars Quality Program. Although participation is not required, this is one more way we can go above and beyond for the children that attend our daycare.

Our educational program is based on Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale guidelines. This comprehensive program includes many areas that contribute to positive child development. The curriculum includes opportunities for children to make their own choices among various learning areas in the classroom, as well as daily teacher-planned activities in language, math, science, art, music and fine motor and gross motor areas.

Importance of Family

You are encouraged to be part of your child’s day at Charlie Bear’s Child Care. Daily reports and information are provided, along with a Parent Resource Center with books, videos and community updates. Family events are held throughout the year to develop strong relationships among the staff, families and children.

Staff-to-Child Ratio

In compliance with the City of Moscow regulations, the maximum teacher-to-child ratios are as listed:

Children under 2               1:3 Children 2-3                        1:5 Children 3 and older       1:10

We have the opportunity to leverage additional staff during structured learning times so that children receive the attention they need to maximize their learning potential.

Credentials and Education

The teacher in each classroom who plans activities must reflect Idaho’s Early Learning Standards and national standards, have a degree in early childhood education or a related field or have prior experience in early childhood programs. Assistants are also qualified by education or experience to work with young children.

All staff are required to have criminal background checks, child-abuse record clearances and annual health appraisals. Staff members are licensed through the City of Moscow. They are certified in First Aid and CPR, and they receive a minimum of 12 hours in annual service training related to their duties as early childhood educators.

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Designing and Planning Ahead for Health Care Centers

Planning ahead will help you get ready to open a health care center. This section includes:

Why are signs important?

Things to do before an event.

• Suggested health care center layout

Assigning a signage coordinator

• Considerations for printing signs
• Other supplies to have ready

Signage in health care centers will help with registration, evaluation and treatment of patients. Health care center activation plans should integrate signage into the setup of the facility.

Don't wait until a drill or an emergency to become familiar with your plans for signage. Here are a few things you should do before an emergency occurs:

• Include sign coordinators in planning sessions.
• If possible, walk through the actual facility and note places where signs will be used. This will help staff anticipate set-up logistics and may save valuable time in an exercise or emergency event.
• Plan what signs will be needed to help with traffic and parking issues and where they will be placed around the outside of the facility and surrounding streets.

Sample health care center layout

Every health care center will be different. This sample layout was developed by Public Health Seattle-King County for a planned site in Seattle. Your health care center will differ in size, complexity and other factors. Planning ahead to account for those differences is crucial.

Coordinating signage setup and placement can be extremely time-consuming. We recommend that each health care center appoint a signage coordinator to:

• Work with planners to map out sign placement
• Print, store and organize signs
• Practice setup
• Train volunteers
• Ensure signs are delivered to the health care center
• Coordinate setup and placement throughout the health care center
• Coordinate disassembly, complete inventory and return signs to storage

Things to consider when printing signs

• For long-term use, signs should be printed on reusable materials so you can store the signs and use them again and again. Because of budget or time constraints, you may need to print these locally and in alternate sizes.
• Most of the signs are in two colors to make it easier to identify than when there are many signs in the health care center. However, printing the signs in black and white can cut costs.
• Plan ahead for each site. Consider how signs will be set up in both the registration and clinical areas; which signs you'll need and what sizes.
• Look through the sign catalog to see what signs are available.

Additional supplies to have ready

• Parking and foot-traffic signs ready in different sizes. They are necessary to help people find the health care center entrances and parking areas.
• Whiteboards and markers available to make unforeseen signs.
• Basic supplies like scissors, sturdy tape, zip ties, permanent markers and blank paper for making and hanging impromptu signs.
• Care-a-Van Mobile Health Services
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Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders

Medicare covers certain screenings, services, and programs that aid in the treatment and recovery of mental health and substance use disorders.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988, the free and confidential Suicide Crisis Lifeline. You can call and speak with a trained crisis counselor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also connect with a counselor through web chat at 988lifeline.org . Call 911 if you're in immediate medical crisis.

Services & programs Medicare covers

Medicare covers a wide range of behavioral health services, including inpatient, outpatient, and more.

If you’re eligible for Medicare and Medicaid you may have even more coverage than what’s listed here. Call your State Medical Assistance (Medicaid) office to find out what other health services may be covered in your state.

Types of mental health care

Outpatient mental health care.

Services to help diagnose and treat mental health conditions (often called counseling or psychotherapy).

Intensive Outpatient Program Services

Part-time mental health care for people who need at least 9 hours of services per week.

Partial Hospitalization

Full-day mental health care for people who need at least 20 hours of services per week.

Inpatient Care

Mental health care services when you’re admitted to a general or psychiatric hospital.

Preventive screenings & counseling

Depression screenings.

Assesses signs and symptoms of depression.

Opioid Use Disorder Treatments

Counseling, therapy, assessments, and more to help recover from opioid use disorder.

Tobacco Use Counseling

Counseling for smoking and tobacco use cessation.

Alcohol Misuse Screenings

To identify unhealthy drinking habits and counseling needs.

Find a mental health care provider

Find and compare providers for mental health and substance use disorder services near you. These providers can help to help treat conditions like depression, anxiety, or substance use disorders.  Some providers may offer these services via telehealth, which allows you to communicate in real-time with your health care provider without going to the doctor’s office.   Get information about covered telehealth services.

Find Providers

Helpful links

FindSupport.gov - Explore care, support, and treatment options.

Mental Health America – Find help for you or someone else.

National Institute of Mental Health – Get care tips and resources.

National Council on Aging – Learn about mental health issues impacting older adults.

Tribal behavioral health coverage – Explore resources for American Indian and Alaska Native people.

National Alliance on Mental Illness – Find resources for people living with mental illness.

Findtreatment.gov – Find state-licensed treatment options in your area for addiction and substance use disorder.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Learn how to manage pain without opioids.

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• Hurricanes or Other Tropical Storms
• Preparedness and Safety Messaging for Hurricanes, Flooding, and Similar Disasters (Second Edition | 2022)
• Natural Disasters and Severe Weather

About Hurricanes and Other Tropical Storms

• Hurricane season starts on May 15 in the north Pacific and June 1 in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. It ends on November 30.
• Know what to do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe before, during, and after the storm.

Be prepared for hurricanes

Hurricane season starts on May 15 in the north Pacific and June 1 in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. It ends on November 30. Before hurricane season each year, make sure you and your family are prepared by planning ahead.

Learn more:

• Preparing for Hurricanes or Other Tropical Storms

Stay safe after the storm

The storm might be over, but that doesn't mean the danger is. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe after the storm by following our safety tips.

• Safety Guidelines: After a Hurricane or Other Tropical Storm
• Floods and Your Safety
• Hurricanes | Ready.gov
• Hurricane Preparedness | Red Cross
• National Hurricane Center (noaa.gov)

Know what to do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe before, during, and after a hurricane or other tropical storm.

For Everyone

Public health.