Backpack Preparedness

It’s official—summer has ended. With Labor Day passing and the weather cooling off it is definitely the beginning of autumn. This means one thing: back to school. Whether your kids are excited or not it’s that time again to hit the books. You’ve probably done the back-to-school shopping to get notebooks and new shoes but have you assembled a preparedness kit for your child’s backpack?

With the busyness of the season it’s easy to overlook something like a preparedness kit. However, you never know when an emergency might occur such as a school lock-down, weather emergency or bus accident. To ensure your child’s safety, we recommend assembling a kit with the following items.

Information Card

This card should have information about the child like his or her name, address, age, height, weight, hair color, blood type, medical information, distinguishing features and guardian’s name. Include contact information of trusted emergency contacts. This will be a helpful resource for the child as well as anyone helping the child find safety. Make sure to update this with every new school year.

Practical Items

It’s a good idea to pack in an extra water bottle, small first aid kit, emergency whistle, snack (like a granola bar), small flashlight, antibacterial cleaner, extra medications and chapstick. Purchase travel-sized items so that the child isn’t weighed down by the heaviness of the kit.

Comfort Items

Include a few pictures of your child with your family or trusted guardians. This will be a source of comfort for the child in addition to being a resource for people helping release the child to the correct guardian. Include an extra piece of candy or two for the child to have during the craziness of the moment.

Make sure your develop an emergency preparedness plan with your child so they understand how to react and who to contact if something were to occur. Help them understand that their kit is not to be played with but rather used in an emergency situation only. We want you and your kids to have a safe and successful school year so prepare for it!