Why Parents Should Have Emergency Contact Cards For Their Kids

Do you keep emergency contact cards in your wallet? A hospital chaplain and parent suggests why it is important for parents to have this in case of accidents or a health emergency. If you have younger children who cannot look after themselves, how will people know who to contact?

Amy Wright Glenn's 4-year-old-son asked her about the emergency contact card he found in her wallet and she had to explain how the "just in case" card is helpful. "If we ever have a car accident and I can't talk because I am hurt," Glenn carefully told her son, per Philly Voice. "That card tells the rescue crew who you are. It tells them who to call so that Daddy or Ms. Melinda can come and be with you."

A Single Dad's Dilemma

Glenn further shared her experience in the workplace when a little boy's single father was advised to stay in the hospital. However, they had no other family member and no close friends who could take the boy temporarily.  With the hospital unable to provide childcare, a social worker from Child Protective Services was tasked to take the boy to foster care.

The father ended up going home, against orders from his doctors, and the Child Protective Services threatened an investigation. "The fact that he signed forms against medical advice shows he is an incompetent parent," the social worker told Glenn.

Emergency Contact Cards - What's In It, Where To Put It?

Glenn's post was shared on the Facebook community Aha Parenting, where plenty of moms and dads said that they conscientiously have emergency contact cards for their kids. One commenter, Celia Maass, shared that her neighbors' emergency contact cards contain the phone numbers for the father, mother and son, as well as their dates of births. These cards are also kept in the car and the diaper bag.

"I have a name tag attached to each child's car seat with their name and date of birth listed," said another commenter, Seeking Sunshine, in the same Facebook community. These parents hope the cards will never get used, but like Glenn, it's good to have it in case of emergencies, accidents and disasters.

Save the Children Federation suggests putting emergency contact cards in the kids' bag or lunch box too and if possible, add any other information that could be helpful, like their allergies and medications. The American Red Cross has a sample template, which you can easily fill out and print for every family member.