RE: IN CASE OF AN EMERGeNCY

[mommylove]

I have someone leaving my daycare and one of the reasons is I am unable to put all kids in my car in case of an emergency to transport her kid to hospital......ANYONE out there actually take all your kids to the hospital in a case of an emergency? I would imagine if needed an ambulance would be called and in any other situation mom, dad or emergency contract would be called to pick up a child if they need medical attention? What are you policies for emergencies?

[Bookworm]

I would never take all the kids to the hospital. I do not drive the kids around, but even if I did, I wouldn't. You would waste soo much time loading everyone in the car. It would be safer and easier for everyone involved to either call the parents to come get the child or to call an ambulance and send the child alone to the hospital and have their parents meet them there.

[torontokids]

my policy is they go via ambulance and the parents meet them there. It would be the same if my own daughters got hurt and my husband would meet them

[Wonderwiper]

I also would call an ambulance. If I were a parent I would prefer my provider called an ambulance!! By the time I got all the kids safety into the car the ambulance would have been and gone.

[PattyCake]

The emergency response teams can get to you and the child in need quicker so it only makes sense to call 911 in case of an emergency. I would not drive any child in need of urgent care to the hospital, I would call 911 and have the parent meet the child there.

[mommylove]

All very valid points thank you...your all just validating what I thought was right :) going through a very tough time in my business and need a pick me up thanks ladies

[Dreamalittledream]

We became a a one car family when I opened my Home Daycare (which my Hubby takes to work all day); I have never ever had a parent even mention a lack of car issue; I have it in my handbook that part of my emergency plan is to call an ambulance first, parent second...they will meet them @ the hospital. Schools have the exact same policy; they do not transport kids to a hospital.

[gramma]

There is no way that you can provide care to a sick or injured child AND drive them to the hospital at the same time. its a ridiculous reason to leave daycare. In an emergency situation at home would they drive to the hospital rather than call emergency services? sounds off to me.

[crafty]

Yeah it makes no sense to me. If it's a real emergency you have NO time to load up 5 + plus kids in a van to got to the ER come on and if a child is injured badly but not life threatening I give them first aid then parents are called to go the ER with their child.

[treeholm]

I already posted this on your other post but realize it fits better here. My policy is that for minor issues, such as a child needing stitches, the parent comes to pick them up. I would administer first aid until they arrive. Something more serious, the child goes to the hospital in an ambulance and parent/ emergency contact person meets them there. I do not have the ability to transport children (no car seats) and the parents know that. In fact, several of them are happy that I will only take children on walks etc. and will not take them in a vehicle.

[Sandbox Sally]

Same as above - if a kid in my care needs the hospital, I call an ambulance. Was the mom really expecting you to take your entire daycare into the ER? :blink:

[Vtorrance]

Hi all

I also have it in my handbook that 911 would be called. How are you to look after the other children and tend to the injured child at the hospital? That parent is clearly not thinking. How would she feel if it was another child who had to go to the hospital and her child got dragged and not the attention they need? Oh I also have in my handbook that parents pay the additional medical costs. That way you don't get stuck paying the bill.

[mommylove]

YES her words exactly were "I don't feel comfortable that if there was an emergency you wouldn't be able to fit all the kids in your car" I said If she need immediate care I would call 911 she then said "Then she would be transported to the hospital alone and I really don't like that" and I said that in the case of an emergency i'm sure here being alone in an ambulance would be the least of your worries.

[sunnydays]

This mom has unrealistic expectations of daycare. She should hire a nanny if she wants one-on-one care with a person who could drive her child to the hospital in case of emergency. Does she have any idea how long it takes to load 5-7 small children into a van??? I do as I have a van and used it up until recently and I can honestly say, there is NO WAY I would be able to load everyone in and take a child to the hospital, where I would have to load everyone out and somehow transport them all safely into the ER while probably carrying the injured child who would be crying and screaming about the injury and probably clinging to me...then sit for the hours of waiting with all those small children while trying to keep the injured child calm and attended to. Are you kidding me?! This is not in any child's best interest. Either the parent comes to get the child or if it is a major emergency, the ambulance comes and takes her to the hospital where the parent meets the child.

[torontokids]

I think it helps when you are explaining this to parents at the interview that you would do the same for your own child(ren) as you couldn't leave her daughter etc to tend to your child. Also letting them know that this is standard practice with all home daycare's including most centres as they have to keep their ratios. I think that in a centre if a director/supervisor is available to go then they could free up the staff to go with the child but this isn't always the case with absences/vacations etc.

[momofnerds]

in case of an emergency you need to call an ambulance. You don't have time to pack everyone up and drive to a hospital. common sense prevails in this case, I know that dcm is unrealistic.

[Crayola kiddies]

Parents are called to pick up unless a real emergency then an ambulance is called and parents would meet ambulance at the hospital .... No way would I pack up all the kids and put them in my van .... I don't have enough car seats any way ... So mute point !

[Momof4]

Well mommylove, that is craziness. The best place to pick up a million germs for your daycare group would be in an emergency room. Do you think the dcMom would have a problem paying for an ambulance bill? Do you think she's making up an excuse and not telling the truth about the real reason she wants to leave? Why can't these kind of parents tell the truth instead of leaving us scratching our heads over some ridiculousness?

I carry emergency forms with us everywhere and they are meant to be handed to a paramedic if I ever have to send a child to a hospital in an ambulance. They would then have the parent's written consent to start saving their child's life. Isn't that what every parent wants, to make sure their child is receiving top-notch care and to know that the caregiver has thought out carefully all the scenarios? Isn't that why we keep our CPR/first aid up to date?

I'm flabbergasted! How do you perform CPR while driving or keep pressure on a wound? Ok, I give up on this question!!!