University of Virginia Health System

Emergency Policy In Case of Failure to Pick Up A Child :

In the event that a child is not picked up by 6:00 P.M. , staff shall use all contact information in attempting to arrange for the earliest possible pick-up of any child remaining in the Center after closing. Staff shall attempt to contact the Director or Assistant Director in the event that parents are unreachable and an alternate pick-up might be arranged. If we have not had phone contact with a parent by 6:15 P.M. , we will begin calling emergency contacts. If we release a child to one of the emergency contacts and staff then leave for the evening, the information will be left on parent answering machines whenever possible and in a message on the Center’s front door. 

If a child has not been picked up by one hour after Center closing time or notification of emergency evacuation, and all attempts to reach parents/guardians have been unsuccessful, staff shall call the police for the jurisdiction in which the child lives and request that they assist in locating a responsible adult to pick up the child.  Police may help by going to the child’s residence and by performing any other appropriate investigation.  The police should be requested to report their finding to the Center as soon as possible.  If the police report that they are unable to locate a responsible adult to pick up the child, then staff shall immediately call Child Protective Services for the jurisdiction in which the child lives and request that they arrange to have Social Services pick up the child from the Center as soon as possible. 

            Staff shall carefully and fully document all efforts, including names and times, throughout this process and provide the documentation to the Director the following workday