Emergency Contact Planning
How to create and maintain an emergency contact plan so your child always knows who to reach and how.
Emergency Contacts is the practice of ensuring a child knows and can access trusted people to contact, along with key information, if they need help or become separated from a parent.
What is this?
An emergency contact plan ensures your child knows how to reach a trusted adult in any situation. Whether they are at school, at a friend's house, or out independently, knowing key phone numbers and having a clear plan provides confidence and a safety net.
How it works
Children who have rehearsed emergency procedures are more likely to act effectively in a crisis. A good plan includes multiple contacts, is practised regularly, and accounts for different scenarios — from a minor change of plans to a genuine emergency.
Warning signs
In your child
- • Not knowing a parent's phone number or how to call for help
- • Anxiety about what to do if plans change or something goes wrong
- • Relying entirely on their phone to contact people, with no backup if the battery dies
Prevention steps
Teach key numbers by heart
Help your child memorise at least one parent's mobile number and the emergency number 999. Practise regularly — especially with younger children — until it is automatic.
Create a physical contact card
Write key contact details on a small card for your child to keep in their bag or pocket. Include your number, an alternative trusted adult, and your home address.
Set up ICE contacts on their phone
Add 'ICE' (In Case of Emergency) contacts to your child's phone so that emergency services or other adults can reach you even if the phone is locked.
What to do if it happens
- 1If your child is in an emergency, ensure they know to call 999 and clearly state where they are and what has happened.
- 2Rehearse different scenarios so your child knows who to call for different situations — a trusted neighbour for a house lockout, a parent for a medical issue, 999 for danger.
- 3Review and update the plan regularly, particularly when phone numbers, schools, or routines change.
Related topics
If you need to report this
In immediate danger: call 999. For non-emergency police matters, call 101.
Concerned about a child but it's not an emergency? NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000. Childline for young people 0800 1111.
This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.
Myths & facts
Myth: A GPS smartwatch or phone location-sharing app means my child doesn't also need to memorise a number or carry a backup card
Fact: Trackers and location apps are useful, but they rely on battery, signal, and the device surviving the exact emergency it's needed for, so a memorised number and a non-electronic backup like a contact card remain important even when your child has a tracking device.
Myth: If my child needs help urgently and can't talk, they can just text 999 and it will work like a normal message
Fact: The UK's emergencySMS service lets you text 999, but it only works if the phone has been registered for the service in advance by texting the word 'register' to 999 and confirming — it is not something that works automatically in the moment, so if this might matter for your child, set it up ahead of time.
Myth: Only my child needs to know the emergency plan — babysitters, grandparents, and childminders don't need it too
Fact: Anyone who might be responsible for your child, even occasionally, should know your emergency contacts and any key details, since they may be the ones needing to act if something goes wrong while you are not there.
Age by age
- 0-4
At this age your child can't reliably reach anyone themselves, so focus on keeping your own contact details current with nursery staff or childminders and starting simple ideas like pointing out a police officer or shop worker as a 'safe helper' if they were ever separated from you.
- 5-7
Start teaching your child a parent's mobile number as a rhyme or repeated routine so it sticks, and introduce the idea of 999 for a genuine emergency through calm, simple role-play rather than frightening detail.
- 8-10
Most children this age can reliably recite a parent's number and their home address, so this is a good time to add a written backup such as a card in their school bag and to talk through which situations call for you, a trusted neighbour, or 999.
- 11-13
As your child gets more independent — walking to school alone or staying home briefly — agree check-in points and set up ICE contacts on their phone if they have one, while confirming they still know at least one number by heart in case the phone is lost or the battery dies.
- 14-16
Teenagers often assume their phone will always be there, so use this stage to talk through what they would do if it were lost, stolen, or out of battery during a night out, including who else besides you they could turn to for help nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Resources
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