10A NCAC 09 .1714         EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

(a)  For purposes of this Rule, the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care is a training developed by the North Carolina Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center for child care operators and providers on creating an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan and practicing, responding to, and recovering from emergencies in child care facilities.

(b)  Existing family child care home operators (operator or operators) shall complete the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care training. Within one year of the effective date of a new license, the operator of a new family child care home shall have completed the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care training. When the trained staff member leaves employment, the family child care home shall ensure that another staff member completes the required training within four months of the vacancy. Documentation of completion of the training shall be maintained in the operator's personnel file.

(c)  Upon completion of the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care training, the operator shall develop the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan. The Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan means a written plan that addresses how a child care facility will respond to both natural and man-made disasters, such as fire, tornado, flood, power failures, chemical spills, bomb threats, earthquakes, blizzards, nuclear disaster, or a dangerous person in the vicinity, to ensure the safety and protection of the children and additional caregivers. This Plan shall be on a template provided by the Division available at https://rmp.nc.gov/portal/# completed within four months of completion of the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care training, and available for review.

(d)  The Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan shall include the following:

(1)           written procedures for accounting for all in attendance, including:

(A)          the location of the children, staff, volunteer and visitor attendance lists; and

(B)          the name of the person(s) responsible for bringing the children, staff, volunteer and visitor attendance lists in the event of an emergency.

(2)           a description for how and when children shall be transported;

(3)           methods for communicating with parents and emergency personnel or law enforcement;

(4)           a description of how children's nutritional and health needs will be met;

(5)           the relocation and reunification process;

(6)           emergency telephone numbers;

(7)           evacuation diagrams showing how the operator, family members, children and any other individuals who may be present will evacuate during an emergency;

(8)           the date of the last revision of the plan;

(9)           specific considerations for non-mobile children and children with special needs; and

(10)         the location of the Ready to Go File. A Ready to Go File means a collection of information on children, additional caregivers and the facility, to utilize, if an evacuation occurs. The file shall include a copy of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, contact information for individuals to pick-up children, each child's Application for Child Care, medication authorizations and instructions, any action plans for children with special health care needs, a list of any known food allergies of children and additional caregiver, additional caregiver contact information, Incident Report forms, an area map, and emergency telephone numbers.

(e)  The operator shall review the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan annually, or when information in the plan changes, to ensure all information is current.

(f)  The operator shall review the Family Child Care Home's Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan with additional caregivers prior to the individual caring for children and on an annual basis.

(g)  All substitute providers and volunteers who provide care to children shall be informed of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan and its location. Documentation of this notice shall be maintained in the individual personnel files.

History Note:        Authority 110-85; 110-88; 110-91; 143B-168.3;

Eff. October 1, 2017;

Amended Eff. February 1, 2021.