Infant and Toddler Emergency Preparedness

Infants and toddlers require extra emergency preparedness and response planning. If you care for infants and toddlers, it is important that you take the time to ensure their unique needs are met in the event of an emergency or disaster. Your written emergency plan should include specifics about how you will keep infants and toddlers safe during an emergency or disaster.

Unique Needs of Infants and Toddlers

Infants and toddlers have unique needs that require careful consideration in emergency preparedness planning.

Reliance on caregivers: Infants and toddlers are physically and emotionally dependent on their caregivers and rely on the guidance and direction of adults to keep them safe.

Communication limitations and identification: Infants and toddlers are likely not able to identify themselves or family members. Caregivers need to be equipped with correct identification information for each child to ensure family reunification following a disaster.

Limited mobility: Infants and young toddlers are unable to walk. Older toddlers may be unbalanced.

Safety and protection: Items that adults use every day can harm children. In the chaos of an emergency, it is important to ensure children are protected from harmful items.

Physical needs: Children are at a greater risk of harm during an emergency because their bodies are smaller and less developed.

Nutritional needs: Children have unique nutritional needs that require special planning.

Emotional needs: Children are deeply affected by emergency situations. They process these events with limited understanding and require specialized support.

Routine and comfort: Infants and toddlers depend on routine to help make sense of their surroundings and feel comforted.

Challenges and Solutions

Emergency preparations for infants and toddlers can be challenging but there are some helpful solutions to make things run easier.

Emergency Supply Kits

If you care for infants and toddlers, you will need to have supplies prepared beyond the standard emergency supply kit items. Plan ahead to ensure you will have a safe way to store and provide breast milk and/or formula if it is necessary for you to evacuate, relocate, or shelter-in-place. It is also important to think about how you will make sure comfort items, such as pacifiers and blankets, are available during an emergency or disaster.

Evacuating Infants and toddlers

Use these tips to help prepare for evacuating infants and toddlers in an emergency. This information should be addressed in your written emergency plan. Remember, infants and toddlers should be included in every practice drill, regardless of the weather or time of day.