A family emergency plan helps everyone know what to do when a normal school day suddenly changes. In a few minutes, a school may close early, a caregiver may be unavailable, or a power outage may affect phones, traffic lights, heating, and food storage. This guide shows you how to create a simple family emergency plan that covers school pickups, childcare changes, communication, and outages without becoming an overwhelming binder of instructions.
You will learn what information to collect, how to choose backup adults, what to pack, how to prepare children for different situations, and how to practise the plan so it works under stress.
Start with the situations your family is most likely to face
A useful plan begins with realistic scenarios rather than every possible disaster. Think about the disruptions that could affect your household, school, or childcare arrangements.
- A child needs to be picked up early because of illness, severe weather, or a building problem.
- A parent is delayed by work, traffic, public transport, or an emergency.
- A regular babysitter or childcare provider cannot arrive.
- School closes while children are already there.
- A power outage lasts through the evening or overnight.
- Mobile phone service or internet access is temporarily unavailable.
- Your family is separated when an emergency occurs.
For each situation, decide three things: who is responsible, how you will communicate, and where everyone should go. Keeping those decisions simple makes them easier to remember.
How to create a simple family emergency plan
1. List essential contact information
Make one written contact sheet and keep a copy at home, in each parent or guardian’s phone, and with approved caregivers. Children who are old enough to read can keep a small version in their school bag.
Include:
- Parents’ and guardians’ full names, phone numbers, workplaces, and work addresses.
- The school, nursery, daycare, after-school club, and transport provider.
- Approved emergency contacts and their relationship to the child.
- Your family doctor or medical clinic.
- Important medical information, including allergies, medications, and conditions.
- The local emergency number and non-emergency public safety number.
- Your home address, including apartment or unit information.
Do not rely only on contacts saved in a phone. A dead battery, damaged device, or poor signal can make digital information inaccessible. Review the list at least twice a year and whenever a phone number, school, medication, or childcare arrangement changes.
2. Choose backup adults for school and childcare
Choose at least two trusted adults who can help if a parent cannot reach a child. Ideally, select people who live or work in different locations, so one local problem does not affect everyone at once.
Ask each person clearly whether they are willing to:
- Collect your child from school or childcare.
- Care for the child for several hours or overnight if necessary.
- Communicate with school staff and explain the situation.
- Give medication or follow specific health instructions, if authorised and appropriate.
Then add these adults to the school or childcare provider’s authorised pickup list. Tell the adults what identification they may need and give them your child’s class, timetable, allergy details, and usual routines.
Do not assume that a relative or neighbour can collect a child without advance approval. Schools and childcare providers often have strict release procedures. Ask about their rules before an emergency occurs.
3. Create a clear pickup chain
A pickup chain prevents confusion when several people are trying to help. Write it in priority order, such as:
- Parent or guardian A.
- Parent or guardian B.
- Approved nearby relative.
- Trusted neighbour or family friend.
- Longer-distance backup adult.
Set a time limit for each step. For example, if the first person cannot confirm that they are on the way within 10 minutes, the next person is contacted. The details will depend on your school and location, but the important point is to avoid waiting indefinitely for someone who is unavailable.
Give the school one consistent instruction: release your child only to people on the approved list, according to its normal safeguarding procedures. If the school uses an app, password, or collection card, make sure every backup adult understands how it works.
Build a communication plan that works when phones fail
During a busy emergency, messages may be delayed or people may misunderstand one another. Choose one primary method and one backup method rather than asking everyone to monitor many channels.
Use a family contact person
A trusted person who lives outside your immediate area can act as a communication hub. If local phone lines are busy, family members may be able to reach this person more easily. Each person can report their status to the contact, who then passes information to others.
Explain what messages should include:
- Where you are.
- Whether you are safe.
- Who is with you.
- What help you need.
- Where you plan to go next.
Text messages may work when voice calls do not, but do not depend on any single technology. Keep a paper contact list and agree on a meeting place in case you cannot communicate.
Choose two meeting places
Select a nearby meeting place, such as a neighbour’s home or a familiar public location, for situations where you must leave your house. Also choose a second location outside your immediate neighbourhood in case the local area is unsafe or inaccessible.
Make sure every family member knows how to get to each place. Children should understand that they must not travel there alone unless your plan specifically allows it and an adult has instructed them to do so.
Tell children to follow directions from school staff, childcare workers, emergency responders, or another designated adult. They should not leave with an unfamiliar person simply because that person knows their name.
Prepare specifically for school days and childcare changes
School and childcare emergencies often involve a short notice period. Prepare a small information folder or digital note containing each child’s schedule and practical details.
- Normal school and childcare hours.
- Classroom, teacher, and after-school activity information.
- Usual transport arrangements.
- Pickup permissions and required identification.
- Allergies, medical needs, and medication instructions.
- Comfort items or communication needs that help the child cope.
Ask the school how it handles early closures, emergency relocation, extended supervision, and missed pickups. Find out where official updates are posted and which phone number the school will use. Save that information in your phone and write it down at home.
If your child uses a bus or other school transport, ask what happens when a route is cancelled or a school closes during the day. Your backup pickup plan should include transport alternatives, not just the name of another adult.
Prepare children without frightening them
Use calm, age-appropriate language. Explain that a plan is a set of steps adults use to keep everyone safe when routines change. Focus on what the child should do, not on frightening details.
Practise simple instructions such as:
- Stay with your teacher or designated caregiver.
- Tell an adult if you feel unwell, frightened, or separated.
- Do not leave school or childcare unless an approved adult and staff member confirm it.
- Know your full name, your caregiver’s name, and one phone number when age-appropriate.
Never make a child responsible for solving the whole emergency. Their job is to stay safe, follow trusted adult instructions, and communicate basic information.
Add a power outage plan to your family emergency plan
A power outage can affect more than lights. It may stop heating or cooling systems, interrupt internet access, disable lifts, make cooking difficult, and create problems for children who need powered medical equipment or refrigerated medication.
Keep a practical outage kit
Store supplies in a known, easy-to-reach place. Include:
- Torches or battery-powered lanterns, with spare batteries.
- Battery or hand-crank radio.
- Charged power banks and charging cables.
- Drinking water and food that does not require cooking.
- Manual can opener.
- First-aid supplies and essential medications.
- Warm layers, blankets, and weather-appropriate clothing.
- Basic hygiene items, rubbish bags, and wet wipes.
- Cash in small denominations if card machines or cash machines are unavailable.
- Paper copies of contacts, medical information, and emergency instructions.
Keep torches where family members can find them without searching in the dark. Test battery-powered equipment periodically and replace expired or depleted items.
Plan for food, water, and temperature
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible during an outage. If food has become warm, use local food-safety guidance rather than guessing whether it is safe. Never use a barbecue, camping stove, generator, or fuel-burning appliance indoors or in an enclosed space because of carbon monoxide risk.
If your home becomes too hot or cold, decide in advance where you would go, such as a relative’s home, community facility, or other safe location. Families with infants, older adults, or medical equipment should make this part of the plan especially specific.
Anyone using a generator should follow the manufacturer’s instructions and local safety requirements. Keep it outdoors in a properly ventilated position, away from doors, windows, and vents.
Write the plan on one easy-to-use page
A plan is more useful when people can understand it quickly. Put the following information on one page:
- Primary and backup caregiver names and phone numbers.
- School and childcare contact details.
- Pickup order and approved collection instructions.
- Family meeting places.
- Out-of-area contact person.
- Medical alerts and essential medication information.
- Instructions for a power outage.
- When to call emergency services.
Keep copies at home, with caregivers, and in a secure place online if your family uses cloud storage. Avoid posting private details publicly or placing unnecessary personal information on a child’s belongings.
Practise, review, and improve the plan
Practise one small part of the plan at a time. Have a child identify the outage kit, show an approved caregiver’s photo, or explain where the family would meet. Call a backup adult to confirm that contact information still works.
Review the plan after a school change, move, new medical diagnosis, change in work schedule, or change in custody or caregiving arrangements. A useful routine is to review it at the start of each school term and before seasons that commonly bring severe weather or outages.
After a real disruption or practice, ask what was unclear. Perhaps the school’s phone line was busy, a caregiver lacked pickup authorisation, or nobody knew where the torch was stored. Update the plan based on what you learned.
Common family emergency planning mistakes
- Relying on one caregiver: Always have at least one backup option.
- Failing to notify the school: A person cannot collect your child if they are not authorised.
- Keeping the plan only on a phone: Use paper copies as well.
- Making the instructions too complicated: Use names, priorities, and clear next steps.
- Forgetting medical details: Include allergies, medication, and relevant care instructions.
- Never practising: People remember simple routines better when they have used them before.
- Ignoring children’s needs: Include comfort items, communication differences, and age-appropriate explanations.
Family emergency plan FAQ
How many emergency contacts should a child have?
Use at least two backup adults in addition to the child’s parents or guardians. Choose people who are reliable, authorised by the school, and reasonably able to reach the child.
What should a child do if school closes unexpectedly?
The child should stay with school staff or the designated childcare provider, follow official instructions, and wait for an approved adult. Teach them not to leave with someone who is not authorised, even if that person claims to know the family.
What is the most important item in a power outage kit?
There is no single item for every household, but reliable lighting, water, food, medication, communication equipment, and paper contact information are strong basics. Add supplies for temperature control or medical equipment when needed.
How often should a family emergency plan be updated?
Review it at least twice a year and whenever contact details, schools, routines, medical needs, or caregivers change. Test the equipment in the outage kit at the same time.
Should children memorise emergency phone numbers?
Children should learn their full name, home address, and at least one trusted adult’s phone number when they are developmentally ready. Keep written information available too, because stress can make memorised details difficult to recall.
