So If There's An Emergency...

[gracepatiencelove]

I'm writing up my handbook now.

If there's an emergency, and I'm in the only here and at capacity (6 kidsfor me), and the kid needs to go to the ER... I just call an ambulance and send them alone? call parents as soon as I call ambulance?

Someone wanted me to find alternate care and go with their kid :/ I don't see how that's possible or fair to anyone else.

We're not practicing aerial acrobatics so I don't foresee anything happening, but I want to be clear.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Call your local hospital and ask them what their procedures are for transporting a daycare child to their facility and how they go about treating them before a parent arrives.

My local hospital will ONLY begin treatment for a child if they get a verbal okay from the parent on the phone. It doesn't matter if I have a note from the parent. The parents are aware of this and I tell them they MUST keep their phone on and by their side or provide a working work number in order to reach them in the event that an emergency that requires an ambulance ride to the hospital occurs.

Unless you can secure care for the other children or can transport them in your vehicle behind an ambulance, you would have to send that child alone.

[Laurel]

I'm writing up my handbook now.

If there's an emergency, and I'm in the only here and at capacity (6 kidsfor me), and the kid needs to go to the ER... I just call an ambulance and send them alone? call parents as soon as I call ambulance?

Someone wanted me to find alternate care and go with their kid :/ I don't see how that's possible or fair to anyone else.

We're not practicing aerial acrobatics so I don't foresee anything happening, but I want to be clear.

It happened to me. I had 6 children and a 3 year old tripped while trying to catch a ball and hit his head on the fence. A huge lump came up immediately. I called 911. There was no way I could go with him and I also couldn't get a hold of his parents.

The paramedics were great and told him they were going to take him to his parents and gave him a stuffed animal. Meaning his parents would be at the hospital.

I tried for quite a while to get his parents or someone on his list but to no avail. After about 2 hours I did finally reach an aunt who went over. In the meantime I called the ER (they have a pediatric ER at this hospital) and they said he was doing well and playing with toys there.

Also be sure to update records every year. I had out of date phone numbers for some of the backups. (Oh and I sent the 'emergency medical authorization' with him)

Laurel

P.S. They did treat him before being able to reach the parents (as they couldn't either). I sent a notarized Emergency Medical Authorization which licensing requires us to have. The parents sign this to authorize treatment if they can't be reached.

[Blackcat31]

I had a little guy need to go to the ER one day too and simply called the ambulance, called his parents to notify them and sent him on his way with just the paramedics. His parents met him at the ER.

You are right, we can't just leave when we have other kids in attendance and finding alternate care is not an acceptable request for a parent to make, nor is it actually doable....kwim?

[Leanna]

One of my little guys had a seizure and even though it broke my heart to do it, I had to send him alone in the ambulance. The paramedics took his folder with his emergency contact card and medical authorization and told me to inform his parents what hospital they were taking him to. Mom and Dad met the ambulance at the hospital. Unless you have a full-time assistant (which I, like most small family child care providers, don't) it really isn't feasible for you to go with an injured child.

[Unregistered]

Here in Michigan you are required to have an emergency person who is close by.
They can only be used for true emergencies, not "I had to run errands" type emergency.
We are to go with the child to the er and leave the children with the emergency back up.
Fortunately they do not need all the training an assistant needs,they just need to be close enough to get there quickly.

[Cradle2crayons]

I had a little guy need to go to the ER one day too and simply called the ambulance, called his parents to notify them and sent him on his way with just the paramedics. His parents met him at the ER.

You are right, we can't just leave when we have other kids in attendance and finding alternate care is not an acceptable request for a parent to make, nor is it actually doable....kwim?

Where I live is all volunteer fire department, volunteer rescue, etc. so if I have to call an ambulance, one of the local volunteer rescue people will accompany the child to the er and stay with them until a parent arrives. That's mainly because the local children's er is an hour away.

[Rachel]

Here in Michigan you are required to have an emergency person who is close by.
They can only be used for true emergencies, not "I had to run errands" type emergency.
We are to go with the child to the er and leave the children with the emergency back up.
Fortunately they do not need all the training an assistant needs,they just need to be close enough to get there quickly.

We are also required to have a backup nearby. And my supervisor (or another, there are 3) is in town, so that would be an option also. I would go with the child unless the parent could get here to go with him or her (some of my parents work local so could be here within 5 minutes).

[Solandia]

If the emergency is enough to need an ambulance, the child would go alone. It would the be same with my own kids, even without the daycare. It is unlikely my dh would be home, and I wouldn't want the ambulance to wait to go to the hospital while I arranged an emergency person to come over. I would want them in the care of a team of professionals asap, not waiting in the back of an ambulance waiting for a backup provider to get the hell over to my house.

If it is something that can wait a bit, (like needing stitches on the chin, sprained ankle or broken finger) then the parent or backup person can come, pick up the child & take them to the ER or urgent care themselves.

PS...you don't need to be doing acrobatics to have a very serious injury for a child. You should ALWAYS expect & be prepared for an emergency.My little guy put a 1.5" gash on the top of his head this week WALKING into the corner of a table. Staples are a blessing, b/c he would not have held still for dermaglue or stitches. Not 911 worthy, unless bleeding doesn't slow down or stop,...this was my guy, but if it was a dck I would have called mom/dad/grandma to pick up...an ambulance ride isn't necessary, as long as he could get stitches/staples in a hour or so.

[momofboys]

We are also required to have a backup nearby. And my supervisor (or another, there are 3) is in town, so that would be an option also. I would go with the child unless the parent could get here to go with him or her (some of my parents work local so could be here within 5 minutes).

I think while this sounds reasonable in reality it would not work. one back-up person can't be on stand-by 100% of the time.

[momofboys]

We live 1/4 mile from the nearest hospital & I only have 3 FT kids so I would likely take child if possible.

[Meeko]

We are advised to have a back up person to come over in an emergency, but in realilty, it's silly to think that someone is going to be sitting by the phone waiting for a call to come over! A back up still has a life and may be out of town, at the doctor's, at the store, tending their own sick child etc.

So a child would go to the ER with the paramedics and I would call the parents who would meet them there.

I will not enroll any child without the parents being available by phone at ANY time.

Anyone who avoids my calls while at work gets a warning and then termed if they do it again.

The only time I had to make exceptions to this rule is when I did daycare in the Air Force. Pilots can't come get their child if they are in the air on a mission! We had lists of people who could pick up and full power of attorney in the case of an emergency. The AF required the full power of attorney, so we could OK surgery etc if need be.

[Lil'DinoEggs]

Here in Michigan you are required to have an emergency person who is close by.
They can only be used for true emergencies, not "I had to run errands" type emergency.
We are to go with the child to the er and leave the children with the emergency back up.
Fortunately they do not need all the training an assistant needs,they just need to be close enough to get there quickly.

Same here. I need to go in the ambulance; however, my regs state that m husband or neighbor or friend can watch the others in true emergencies if I call my coordinator right away.

[Crazy8]

I would send them alone in the ambulance. I would hopefully have talked to parent while waiting for the ambulance so they could be there asap too. I don't transport children at all - wouldn't have the car seats for all of them to fit in my car.
I have a notarized medical form as well.

[littleblossoms]

I have asked this question what would I do for emergency and I have it in my conract that I will send the kids to the hospital if it calls for hospital . I would call tthe parents after the 911 call