What to include in a caregiver handoff
- Contacts: parents or guardians, a nearby backup, and an out-of-town contact
- Health: allergies, medications as labelled, conditions, and the doctor’s phone number
- Pickup: exactly who is allowed to collect the child
- School or childcare: the office phone number and the address
- Routines: meals, naps, bedtime and anything that calms them down
- Meeting places: where to go if you can’t reach each other
What to leave out
Identity documents, bank details, passwords, door codes that aren’t needed, and your full household plan. Anyone who receives a printed or shared copy can keep it and pass it on, so share deliberately.
Caring for an older adult
Build their card together and with their permission. Include mobility aids, medical equipment and power needs, hearing or vision support, and the name of anyone they’ve chosen to help with healthcare decisions.
In the Family Ready app
You can create an Emergency Card for yourself, your child, a parent, a partner, or someone you care for with their permission. Family Ready Plus adds a Caregiver Handoff PDF. You pick the sections it includes and preview it before you print or share it. Nothing is ever sent automatically.
Common questions
What information should a caregiver have in an emergency?
Who to call first and second, known allergies, current medications with doses as labelled, important health conditions, the child’s doctor, who is allowed to pick the child up, school or childcare contacts, daily routines and any comfort or accessibility needs.
Should I give a babysitter a copy of our emergency plan?
Give them a short handoff sheet, not the whole plan. Include only what they need while caring for your child, and leave out ID numbers, financial details and passwords.
How do I prepare for someone caring for an older relative?
With the person’s permission, write down their contacts, medications, conditions, doctors, mobility or equipment needs and daily routine. Keep a copy where the caregiver can find it, and review it after every medical change.
Official sources
General preparedness guidance. Always follow instructions from your local emergency authority. Family Ready is not affiliated with or endorsed by these organizations.