I will never forget when there was an anthrax scare at the childcare centre where I worked.  I was the group leader of the 2- to 3-year-old’s room.   All the children were asleep on their beds when there was a tap at the door.  I saw my Director through the glass.  She was sprinkled with white powder.  I opened the door.  She backed away.  ‘Don’t come any closer,’ she said.  ‘I opened an envelope and got this stuff all over me.  Evacuate.’    So we woke the children and evacuated to the paddock behind the centre while government chemists, firefighters and police swarmed the building.  It was a hoax.  The powder was gyprock, and the man who had sent it was already in police custody.  He’d posted a handful of letters to schools and childcare centres before he’d been arrested.

I couldn’t have foreseen an anthrax hoax when I awoke that morning.  But we had procedures to follow in case of an emergency, and every staff member knew what to do.  How prepared are you for an emergency in your Kid’s Church? 

What Your Kid’s Church Must Have:

• An emergency action plan in place. 
• Appointed first aid person/s or nurse
• A Kid’s Church Handbook (containing policies and procedures)
• Volunteer training for all Kid’s Church volunteers (use the Handbook and revisit it regularly)
• Clear signage (exits, labelled first aid kit, evacuation plan)
• An emergency evacuation rope.  This is really optional but a rope with the grip handles, or simply your tug-o-war rope that children can hold on to, helps move a group of children together safely and in an orderly way.

A few years ago I was asked to update our Kid’s Church Policies.  I found helpful free resources kindly shared on the internet by other Churches.  (Just make sure the information you use comes from the country you live in and preferably the same state.)  I found free templates for a Kid’s Church Handbook.  If you don’t feel you can put together policies or a handbook yourself ask around your Church.  There may be someone in your congregation who is experienced in this area and happy to do it for you.  If you have the budget you can ask a professional company to collate policies and create handbooks for your Church specifically.  They can train your volunteers, too.

An emergency, by its very definition, is a serious, unexpected and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action.  You can’t know when an emergency will arise, but you can plan how you and your Kid’s Church volunteers will handle it!  Be prepared.