Family Emergency Plan for Kids

Who this is for

A plan your children can read for themselves. It says who to call, where to meet and what to do when things go wrong at home or on the way to school.

Families with children old enough to read a simple plan, and parents whose children are starting to walk to school, stay home alone for short spells or go out with friends.

What this helps you track

• The trusted adults a child can ring, and where they live
• A meeting place inside the home and one outside it
• What to do if home alone, separated in a busy place or not collected
• Where the first aid kit and the spare key are
• Which parts of the plan have actually been practised

How to use it

1. Sit down with the children and fill the plan in together, in words they would use.
2. Choose the trusted adults with them, and check each adult has agreed to be on the list.
3. Choose a meeting place inside and one outside, and walk to them so the children know exactly where they are.
4. Read through each 'If' line and agree what they do and who they ring.
5. Practise the checklist items over the following weeks and tick each one when it has been done.
6. Put the plan somewhere the children can see it, and go over it again when anything changes.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why is there no line for our safe word?

Because a plan pinned up at home can be read by visitors. Agree the word out loud, keep it in your heads, and use the practice list to check the children remember it and know when to ask for it.

How old should children be to use this?

There is no set age. It is written for children who can read short sentences, and younger ones can use it with a parent reading it aloud. You know best what your child is ready for.

Does it tell children which emergency number to ring?

No, because it differs from country to country. Write your local emergency number on the plan yourself and practise saying the address clearly for when it is needed.

How often should we go over it?

Whenever something changes, such as a new school, a new trusted adult or a move, and whenever you think the children have forgotten it. The practice checklist shows what still needs a run-through.