What Is The Procedure For A Lockdown At A Daycare Center?

Lockdown procedures are essential in early childhood services to ensure the safety of children, parents, and staff during an emergency or threat of danger. These procedures may include an announcement of the lockdown, naming a specific location, locking exterior doors and windows, turning off lights, securing and covering windows, moving people away from windows and doors, clear hallways and bathrooms, and taking attendances of all students and staff.

In early childhood services, there are three types of lockdowns: external threat, internal threat, and external threat. Each education and care service has varying potential for emergency situations, and effective planning and implementation of these procedures are crucial.

A lockdown is an emergency procedure intended to secure and protect occupants of a building or surrounding community who are in proximity to an immediate threat. No one is allowed to enter or exit the building. In a “lock-down” situation, all children are kept in classrooms or other designated locations away from the danger. If not in a classroom, but in an area where the danger is present, the child care facility must implement a lockdown procedure.

Emergency lockdown procedures include bomb threat, intruder (potential violence), and weapon on site. Lockdown and lockout procedures are designed to secure staff and children in case of potential threats such as extreme weather conditions, toxic spills, and other potential threats.

Using a checklist when practicing your lockdown response helps assess what types of emergencies you could experience in your program and region. Emergency lockdown procedures include bomb threat, intruder (potential violence), and weapon on site.