What to Ask Parents Before They Walk Out the Door

Training tells you what to do. Preparation tells you what you need to know about this particular family, in this particular house. Two minutes of questions before the parents leave saves you from hunting for an inhaler in an unfamiliar kitchen while a child struggles to breathe.

Medical questions

Does any child have allergies, asthma, epilepsy or any other condition I should know about?
If there is an adrenaline autoinjector or a reliever inhaler, where exactly is it kept, and may I see it now?
Is there an action plan on the fridge or in a folder that I should read?
Has any medication already been given today, and is any due while you are out?
What is your Medicare number or the child's date of birth, in case I need to give it to an ambulance?

Contact questions

What is the best mobile number for each of you, and will you have reception where you are going?
Who is the backup contact if I cannot reach either of you?
Who is the family's usual doctor?

House questions

What is the full street address, including the unit number? You will need it for the 000 operator, and it is surprisingly easy to blank on an address that is not your own.
Where is the first aid kit?
Is the pool gate locked, and are there any rooms the children are not allowed in?
How do the door locks work from the inside if we need to get out quickly?

Write the essentials down

Put the address, both parents' numbers and any medical details in a note on your phone at the start of the job. If something happens, you will be reading from your phone with one hand while the other is busy, and you do not want to be scrolling through a text conversation to find a street number.

Trust the sequence you were taught

If something does go wrong, work through it in order. Check for danger, check for a response, send for help, then airway, breathing and CPR if needed. Call 000 earlier rather than later. Ambulance call takers are trained to guide you through what to do, and calling is never the wrong decision.

If you have not completed a course yet, our Childcare First Aid course covers everything above in about three and a half hours, with your certificate issued the same day. Find a class near you.