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Forum -> Parenting our children -> School age children
What does an emergency contact entail?



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amother
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Post Sun, Apr 03 2016, 5:42 pm
My neighbor wants to use me as an emergency contact for her children's schools. What responsibility would this entail? Can I refuse?
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Rutabaga




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 03 2016, 5:51 pm
On the off chance that neither parent can be reached, you would be responsible for picking up a child who is sick or suspended.

I have been the emergency contact for a friend who has no immediate family in the area and I've never once been called by the school. That's for a few children over the course of 5+ years.

You know your neighbor better than anyone here. Do both parents work a far distance from the school? Are they the type who are likely to send children to school sick? Are their children troublemakers? Do they have family in the area who may have turned down the honor of being emergency contacts?
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BetsyTacy




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 03 2016, 6:01 pm
Are you the first or the second emergency contact? There are often two listed. If there are 2 parents in the picture, the second emergency contact is now 4th on the list.

Edited to add-of course you can refuse if you like. It's a favor. You also could try and see if you like it. If she and her husband are the types who don't answer phone calls and she has kids who have a lot of stomach viruses--well, I would ask to be removed from that contact list pdq. Otherwise, you really shouldn't be called. Ultimately, if it is inconvenient for you to pick them up, you have no legal obligation. The school has to keep them until someone picks them up.


Last edited by BetsyTacy on Sun, Apr 03 2016, 6:05 pm; edited 1 time in total
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amother
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Post Sun, Apr 03 2016, 6:02 pm
My neighbor has no family in the area but I would never want to be responsible for picking up her children from school. A few years ago I picked up one of her children from school. Later that day, she called to yell at me "why did you tell him I'm never coming back?" I never ever said such a thing and I don't want to have to go through that bad experience again.

A few weeks ago she casually mentioned that she was putting me on as an emergency contact. I started getting nervous because I recall what happened a few years ago. I think I'll call the school and tell them to take my name off the list.
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greenfire




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 03 2016, 11:56 pm
instead of calling the school ... tell her directly that you cannot handle the responsibility and she will have to find someone else

do you have an emergency contact ? how do you deal with getting one ? usually one asks first - not after
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Apr 05 2016, 3:05 pm
Definitely don't let. It's mega odd.
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cm




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Apr 05 2016, 3:23 pm
In 15+ years, I have been called once and never had to pick up anyone's child. None of my emergency contacts has ever been called for my child.

Nowadays with cell phones, parents are easier to find if a child gets sick at school. We continue the tradition of emergency contacts, but it is a formality more than anything else.
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