Family readiness: a plan people can use

A family plan works when the people using it can find the next step without hunting through a binder. This route helps a household make a small plan, account for the people who need different support, and rehearse the parts that matter before a disruption.

A simple route

Begin with the part of the household that needs a clearer plan

1Start with the contact route and meeting plan
2Plan for the people and routines you actually have
3Make a leaving-home plan that fits the household

Start with the contact route and meeting plan

Make the shortest shared plan first: who checks in, how to reach them if local service is strained, where people meet, and when the card gets reviewed.

Make a family emergency plan cardCreate a print-ready card for contacts, meeting points, and a review date without sending private details anywhere.Open resource Set a family communication plan for a power outageDecide who contacts whom and how the household will verify a change in plans when power or service is disrupted.Open resource

Plan for the people and routines you actually have

A useful plan names practical support needs, familiar routines, and safe handoffs instead of treating every household member as interchangeable.

Help children handle uncertainty during a disasterUse truthful updates, familiar routines, and clear adult roles without treating a household guide as mental-health care.Open resource Plan first-aid kit access for children, older adults, and petsAdapt storage, caregiver handoff, and escalation around real household needs without generic medical substitutions.Open resource

Make a leaving-home plan that fits the household

Movement becomes easier when the decision, documents, bag, access needs, and transport fallback have been considered before there is pressure to leave.

Plan apartment evacuation with stairs, pets, children, and mobility needsMap the building-specific questions to verify before an event without assuming local conditions or building rules.Open resource Build a practical household go-bagSeparate a leave-now bag from home supplies and keep the load usable for the person expected to carry it.Open resource

Put it on paper

One useful next action

Put the shared contact route, meeting points, and review date into a compact browser-only template.

Open the Family Emergency Plan Card

Continue with the system it supports

Mobility and evacuationPut a move-or-stay decision, documents, transport fallback, and return plan in order.Readiness dashboardReview practical household details privately, one checked item at a time.