Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By David Wolf, Attorney and Robert Fernicola, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
A day care center located in New Jersey was evacuated after a car crashed into the front reception area of the building. Luckily, no children or workers were injured. The driver of the car, however, was injured, but the extent of his injuries is unknown. Firefighters were able to repair the side of the building, and the children were able to resume class.
Parents in New Jersey depend on day care centers to provide a safe environment for their children. However, sometimes unexpected emergencies can occur which are outside of a day care center’s control. Every day care center should develop an emergency plan to protect children and employees within a facility. The plan should be developed with input from day care administrators and parents and should be rehearsed periodically.
All plans should address the following four areas: mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery. Mitigation involves taking steps to reduce an emergency and is achieved through a risk analysis of possible events that are likely to occur on or near the facility. Preparation involves having a well thought out plan in case of emergency which is rehearsed periodically. How quick recovery occurs after an emergency depends largely on pre-emergency planning and mitigation efforts. Child care centers in New Jersey as well as nationwide contain a large percentage of young children. Therefore child care centers should develop an emergency policy/plan to protect children in case of an unexpected event. For more information on the New Jersey crash, see Car crashes into JC daycare center.