No parent wants to imagine an emergency involving their child, but planning for unexpected situations can make a significant difference when every minute matters. As such, a well-drafted parenting plan should address more than one’s regular parenting schedule.
Including provisions for emergencies can reduce confusion, improve communication and help parents make important decisions quickly when unforeseen events arise.
Medical emergencies, bad weather and other unexpected events
Medical emergencies are one of the most important topics that should be proactively addressed in a parenting plan when it comes to broader emergency planning. Parents should specify how they will notify one another if a child is injured or becomes seriously ill, who has authority to consent to emergency medical treatment when the other parent is unavailable and how medical information will be shared after treatment. The plan should also identify emergency contacts and ensure that both parents have access to health insurance information.
Natural disasters and severe weather should also be considered, particularly if parents live in different communities, or communities at high risk for a disaster. A parenting plan can establish how exchanges will be handled if travel becomes unsafe, identify alternative meeting locations and outline how parents will communicate if phone service or transportation is disrupted.
Parents may also wish to address emergencies involving either parent. If one parent is hospitalized, experiences a family emergency or becomes temporarily unable to care for the child, a parenting plan can explain whether the other parent will receive additional parenting time before alternative caregivers are considered.
While no parenting plan can anticipate every possible emergency, thoughtful preparation can minimize uncertainty and conflict when especially urgent and consequential situations arise.