Emergency preparedness is what a program does before a disaster to get ready for it. Each Head Start program will determine which emergencies are most likely to occur in their area and then write a disaster preparedness plan that shows how it will keep children and staff safe. The Emergency Preparedness Manual for Early Childhood Programs can help new health managers understand the requirements and their role in improving their program’s disaster preparedness plan.

Disasters may affect families and communities with fewer resources more because of differences in housing quality, living in areas likely to have disasters, and late or inadequate emergency service responses. Early childhood programs should consider the needs of their community when making an emergency preparedness plan. Use the CDC’s Pathway to Preparedness Discussion Guide to evaluate preparedness and response plans.

Tips and Strategies for Supporting Emergency Preparedness Efforts

• Read your health and mental health policies to make sure they include steps for emergencies, fire prevention and response, a plan for child-specific health emergencies, and protection from an infectious disease outbreak.
• Help your Head Start program develop its COVID-19 mitigation policy.
• Develop health and mental health community partnerships with local emergency workers and public health professionals, who can tell you about reportable diseases and ways to reduce the risk to children and adults in your program.
• Invite health and behavioral health community partners to join your emergency preparedness task force or your Health and Mental Health Services Advisory Committee.
• Plan opportunities for children, families, and staff to meet local first responders.
• Take part in local disaster preparedness events to meet community organizations and neighbors.
• Keep a list of all staff who have first aid and CPR training and arrange training to make sure that everyone stays up to date.
• Set up a schedule to buy and replace first aid supplies and make sure that the staff who work with each group of children have an emergency supply kit or go bag.
• Plan how you will store and get access to important records, forms, and files if you lose power or cannot get them electronically.
• Review educational plans for children with disabilities and individual health care plans  for children with special health care needs to make sure they include instructions for care during an emergency until children can reunite with their families.
• Make a list of organizations or people in your community who can help you offer mental health support for adults and children and add this list to your plan.
• Use your mental health consultant or community partners to train staff on psychological first aid to support children and families during an emergency.
• Partner with your mental health consultant to put together Bee CALM backpacks and to help staff learn calming strategies to help children feel safer during an emergency.
• Consider special equipment that infants and toddlers will need, such as evacuation cribs.

Learn More

• Natural Disasters and Head Start Facilities
• Mental Health Planning for Disaster and Trauma

Last Updated: May 28, 2025