Emergency Child Care: The plan I had for childcare does not work anymore. What can I do now?

Administered by the local MFRC, the Emergency Childcare Service (ECS) provides timely, affordable and regulated child care for CF families to address their childcare needs. It supports the ability of the CF members to be available for duty if their childcare plan fails. Plan: All CF members MUST complete a Family Care Plan, FCP form DND 2267
 

Prepare yourself ahead of time

What if you or your primary caregiver is unable to care for our child? What are your plans in an emergency situation or if your partner is away on duty/deployment? Think about creating a short term plan with a trusted friend caring for your child until your family arrives from out of town.
 
Members are responsible for ensuring they have an emergency Family Care Plan in place to accommodate deployments/emergencies. These plans are valuable tools in preventing possible parent and caregiver emergencies and reducing stress that may occur in the event your usual childcare arrangements fail. In addition, prepare an Emergency Childcare plan to ensure immediate care for your child. Fill it out and give it to a friend or relative who can care for your child in an emergency. Prepare a plan for each child in your family. Keep a copy for yourself to give to a caregiver as part of your back up plan (e.g. if your regular emergency contact is unavailable). If you need to establish a new childcare plan the MFRC can help
 
Tips
  1. Plan ahead of time to prepare yourself for the “what if …” scenarios.
  2. Ensure that the person you have indicated on your childcare plan resides locally and not in another province.
  3. Ask your regular in-home childcare provider if she/he is able to obtain an authorization to allow her/him to provide care for your child for more than 13 hours in a row and overnight through the Community Care Licensing Branch. Note: licensed child care providers are not authorized to provide more than 13 hours of care in a row without special authorization. http://www.hls.gov.bc.ca/ccf/child_care.html.
  4. Contact private agencies (homecare support workers, nannies) and ask them for a free assessment in order open a file in case to access their services during an emergency.
  5. Get to know other families from your community to build your plan.
  6. Contact your local MFRC for additional tips and assistance with your emergency plan. The MFRC can provide assistance with creating an Emergency Childcare plan.

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