Supporting Infants And Young Children Around ACTIVE SHOOTER Drills And Incidents

Before an active shooter

Having a safe, stable, and supportive relationship serves as a protective factor for children who are later impacted by a violent incident.

Regularly review your active shooter plan with parents and keep updated contact information. Keep your plan updated. If you are going to regularly have active shooter drills, be sure that both the parents and the childcare providers are prepared with the same information for how to talk to and support children before and after the drills. Be aware from the initial intake of children who may have been exposed to violence or trauma and may be more reactive during or after the drills. 

Parents needs to be prepared to talk to their children in advance of the drills and describe what will happen, why it is being done, and reassure their children that they will be safe, and it is just an exercise that the childcare center is doing to be prepared. Also, parents should be told to reassure their children that the center staff will be available to answer any questions and provide support.

What childcare providers might say or do:

  • During an intake with a family enrolling their child, you review all procedures and say, “My main job is to care for and keep your child safe. I tell every parent from the beginning how I do that and that we will be carrying out active shooter drills to be prepared for any emergency situation.” You share your protocol and ask parents to share questions and concerns.*

During an active shooter incident

Always check in with yourself first. If you feel overwhelmed or frozen, pause and take a deep breath (or use whatever strategy works for you) so that you can effectively follow your active shooter plan and be able to explain and provide support to the children as needed. Ask for help if you need it.

Tennessee Department of Homeland Security recommends (1) Evacuate (if possible), (2) Hide (if evacuation is not possible), (3) Take action (direct confrontation is a last resort if your life or the lives of the children are in danger)

It is important to talk to children even before they understand the words. Talk about what is going on around them. In times of danger, assure them you are there to keep them safe.  

  • Be honest

  • Use simple language that is appropriate for the children’s ages

  • Let children know what is happening next

How you speak to children is as important as the words you use. Children respond to your volume and tone of your voice. They notice your emotions, facial expressions, and body language.

What childcare providers might say or do:

  • (for an infant) When you hear your director say the code word over the intercom, you lock and barricade your door. As you pick up each infant, you whisper, “It’s not safe; we’re all going to sit together.” You sit in the middle of the room, remember to silence your cell phone, and quietly hum as you rock the children.*

  • (for young children) You hear code word for an active shooter and then hear gun shots. One teacher runs to barricade the door. You say, “Children, I need you to all follow me.” A child says, “That was a gun.” You respond, “That was a gun shot. Follow my directions. We’re going to sit right here together and be really quiet.” You remember to mute your cell phone and put your finger to your lips to remind the children to be silent. Your co-teacher begins to cry. You whisper to the children, “Ms. Becky is crying; I think she may be scared. I think we all may be scared. Let’s all practice our belly breathing.” You and your co-teacher wrap your arms around as many children as possible. You notice other children are holding each other’s hands.*

Pay attention to what you say to other adults even when you do not think children are listening.

After an active shooter incident

Infants and young children will share their thoughts and feelings through behavior, emotions, play, and, when they are able, language. Watch and listen closely. Expect that some children will show emotion and behavior dysregulation. Be available to provide support.

Remember that it is ok, and even helpful, to talk about what happened. When children hear adults talking about experiences and feelings, they know they can too.

Notice times when children are reminded of the active shooter incident. It is not always possible to know, but common reminders include loud noises, closed in spaces, seeing people upset, seeing people in uniforms, seeing strangers, or times when someone is late to pick them up.

What childcare providers might say or do:

  • (for an infant) Since the active shooter incident, many parents have removed their children from your center. You notice the infants who remain are having difficulty at drop off and that parents are staying longer, are tense and jumpy, and reluctant to leave their children. You think that the children’s difficulty is associated with their parents’ anxiety. When Nora and her mother, Ms. Dickson, arrive, you say “Nora, I think it’s hard for you to leave your mama, and Ms. Dickson, I think it’s hard for you to leave Nora.” You pause to listen to Ms. Dickson and respond, “A lot of people are feeling scared. I am too. I wanted to let you know that we’re scheduling a parent meeting. We’re going to talk about how to help the children after what happened and about the changes we’ve made to increase security. I think it will be helpful for parents to be together. We all need support right now.”*

  • (for young children) You hear a child tell his friend, “Next time there’s a bad guy, I’m going to bring a knife and kill him. You immediately respond, “We don’t talk like that!” After the words come out of your mouth, you realize that the child is letting you know he may be scared, may think he could have stopped the situation, and may be trying to gain a sense of control. You get on the child’s level and say, “I think you have a lot of big feelings about what happened” You are ready to explain in simple terms that his feelings may be because someone came in the school and hurt people, but he starts talking. Other children come over and share their experiences. You listen, reflecting back what they say, highlight their feelings, talk about how well they listened and did what they needed to do, and focus on how you will keep them safe.*

As much as possible, keep regular structure and routines while expecting that children may need extra attention and reassurance.

Communicate with children’s parents/caregivers. Listen to parents’ concerns and share any concerns you have. Work together to find ways to best support the child.

*Note: These are examples. Use your own words and describe your own plan.

Active Shooter Resources for Childcare Providers

Active Shooter Resources to Share with Families

Sample Parent/Guardian Emergency Contact Information form from Tennessee Department of Human Services. Scroll down to: Child Care Agency Emergency Preparedness Template. https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/for-families/child-care-services/child-care-resources-for-providers/child-care-emergency-preparedness.html