Inclement Weather Overview

Inclement weather happens. No matter where you are in the world, your program will – at some point – experience an unexpected need to close. It could be due to weather, or it could be a burst water pipe. As they say, preparation is key; when writing your policies, consider how you’ll decide on emergency closures, how you’ll notify staff and families, and how the closures will impact payments and calendars.

Depending on the type of program or center you administer, you may be required to follow a set policy for emergency closings, so be sure to check. Many private programs choose to follow local school district closures, although depending on the size of the district and your hours of operation, you might need to devise a different plan.

As a general rule, this writer recommends that the number one consideration of any potential closure is safety. If it puts families or staff members at risk to travel, it probably isn’t a good idea to expect attendance at that time. While this can be irritating – parents might still have to work and make emergency arrangements – it is much better safe than sorry.

This issue is further complicated when meals are taken into account – if your center or program is one that provides a number of critical meals to students that might not otherwise have adequate nutrition, it can feel hard to justify a closure. Should you stay open to serve the families that show up, knowing that some might be willing or able to make the trip that day? Will you expect all staff to attend if you open during risky conditions – and if there is a high staff to student ratio, will you send staff home with pay? Without pay?

When it comes to money, also consider if families will be refunded for emergency closures. Will they be refunded in the form of payment, or will extra days be added on to the school year (if you follow a school year calendar?) How would adding extra days impact time off, training time, and holiday schedules for staff and families. How will you notify families of emergency closures, and by what time will you do so? Who will be responsible for getting the message to families – supervisors, classroom teachers, a phone tree?

Where To Include

At Playvolution HQ, we recommend using the Three Handbook Method.

Consider adding this policy to your Operating Handbook.

Considerations

• Your program or center might consider investing in listserv software or messaging apps in order to quickly communicate closings to families.
• Your local licensing agency might require a certain type of notification for an emergency closing – check to see if there’s any official records you need to keep and/or send.
• Many public TV and radio stations allow schools to submit their operating status on inclement weather days; consider finding out if can be a part of the listed schools.

Sample Policies

NOTE: The following samples are real-world examples relating to this post’s topic and are provided as a reference for creating your own policies and procedures. Sharing them here is not a recommendation of their content.

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Related Content

Brought to you by Explorations Early Learning
Contribute content to Playvolution HQ