Although none of us likes to think about emergencies that can happen while our children are being cared for by a babysitter, the fact is that they do occur. The more information you provide ahead-of-time for your babysitter, the better off she will be. An emergency list for your babysitter should include:

- Police, fire, and emergency medical contact numbers. Many people live in an area with “911″ (central dispatch) services that can contact the appropriate agency in the event of an emergency. Make sure your babysitter knows whether this service is available, and what the individual numbers are if this service is not available.

- Poison control center. You should leave a hotline number for the poison control center in your area. This is useful when one of the children has eaten or drunk something that may or may not be harmful.

- Your family’s doctors. You should leave information about how to contact your family physician, your children’s dentist, their psychiatrist or therapist, or any other healthcare providers that may be useful.

- Children’s information. You should include information about your children’s health problems, such as allergies or diabetes, that the babysitter can provide to emergency services personnel if necessary. You might wish to include the children’s birthdates and Social Security numbers as well. A physical description of the children, as well as a description of the clothes that they are wearing, can be helpful if one of them becomes lost.

- Your contact number. If you have a cell phone, you can leave that number. If you do not, leave the number of the place that you will be. If you will be at a concert, you can leave the box office number and your seat number so that the box office can find you. If you are going to a theatre, you can leave the movie name and show time.

- Helpful neighbors. If you have a neighbor that is willing and able to help out in the event of an emergency, list their name, number, and address.

Posted in Child Care Issues

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