-- U.S. Early Childhood Programs Face Unseen Crisis in Safety Preparedness
As emergency events—from wildfires to active shooter incidents—continue to rise across the United States, a glaring oversight in national safety planning is gaining attention: the lack of emergency preparedness tailored to early childhood education settings.
The Institute for Childhood Preparedness (ICP) has emerged as the only organization in the country exclusively dedicated to solving this issue. Founded in 2018, ICP was established in response to a troubling realization—while schools and government facilities often receive targeted emergency training, child care centers and preschools are frequently left unprepared and unprotected.
“Many child care centers have no real emergency plan, not because they don’t care—but because no one’s ever given them tools built for their world,” said Andrew Roszak, Founder and Executive Director. “Our mission is to change that.”
Why Emergency Training Can’t Be One-Size-Fits-All
Most safety training in the U.S. is designed for adult environments or K–12 classrooms. Infants and toddlers are rarely part of the emergency conversation, despite being among the most vulnerable populations during crises. ICP’s work spotlights a deep flaw in national readiness: programs built for older students or office workers simply don’t work in early learning settings.
From communication limitations to mobility issues and emotional regulation, children under five present unique challenges. Traditional lockdown protocols, active shooter drills, and disaster plans don’t account for diaper changes, nap times, or the presence of non-verbal children.
“This population requires different strategies—strategies that avoid trauma, honor development, and reflect how these spaces actually function,” said Ronald Roszak, a law enforcement veteran and ICP’s Senior Advisor.
A Ground-Up Approach Designed for Infants and Toddlers
ICP has spent the last eight years creating an entirely separate approach to emergency preparedness—one rooted in early childhood development theory and trauma-informed care. The organization works directly with:
- Head Start and Early Head Start programs
- Child Care and Family Child Care programs
- Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs)
- Military Child and Youth Programs
- Summer camps, dance studios and other child-serving programs
- Public health departments and emergency managers
Rather than retrofit existing protocols, ICP builds new frameworks that are practical, classroom-friendly, and responsive to the real-world experiences of early educators. Their services include active shooter and workplace violence training, custom tabletop drills, safety assessments, and communication system design.
A Leadership Model Informed by Real-World Response
What makes ICP different is not just what it teaches—but who’s doing the teaching. The Institute is co-led by a father-son team: Andrew Roszak, an attorney and former paramedic, and Ronald Roszak, a retired law enforcement officer with more than two decades of experience. Together, they’ve developed safety models that combine the realism of emergency response with the gentleness of early education.
This responder-driven, family-led approach has resonated with early learning providers nationwide. The Institute’s growing list of partners includes Sesame Workshop, the U.S. military, and state-level agencies working to close the preparedness gap.
Building Confidence Without Creating Fear
ICP’s training is trauma-sensitive by design. Rather than alarming children or overloading educators, sessions are built to create calm confidence during times of crisis. The Institute works to ensure that every strategy meets licensing requirements, respects developmental milestones, and supports the mental well-being of both staff and children.
In a field already under pressure—due to staffing shortages, funding limitations, and high expectations—this support has been a welcome change.
“We don’t just hand them a binder and walk away,” said Andrew Roszak. “We help them think through their environment, identify risks, and create plans that will actually work—without scaring the children or the adults.”
Literature, Training, and Real Tools for Real Emergencies
In addition to its hands-on training, ICP has authored a best-selling three-book series, Preparing for the Unexpected. The books, used in training programs nationwide, help early educators navigate each phase of an emergency: before, during, and after. Topics include:
- Active shooter response for preschool settings
- General emergency planning tailored to child care
- Post-disaster recovery and trauma mitigation
ICP also offers communication tools such as walkie-talkie systems developed specifically for child care centers, recognizing that standard emergency tech often falls short in these environments.
The Call for National Recognition and Policy Reform
Through its work, ICP is increasingly pushing for systemic change. The organization argues that emergency preparedness for early childhood environments should not be optional or inconsistent—it should be a national priority with dedicated funding and standards.
Andrew Roszak has briefed policymakers and education leaders on this issue, calling for investments that match the urgency of the problem.
“When early educators are left to figure it out alone, the system fails them—and the children. We’re working to change that, one training at a time,” Roszak said.
About Institute for Childhood Preparedness
The Institute for Childhood Preparedness was founded in 2018 to ensure that child care professionals and early educators are equipped to respond to emergencies through child-centered, trauma-informed approaches. As the only organization in the U.S. focused exclusively on early childhood emergency preparedness, ICP has trained programs in all 50 states and collaborates with major institutions to improve safety planning nationwide.
Website: www.childhoodpreparedness.org
Alternate Domain: www.icp.us
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Andrew Roszak
Founder and CEO
Email: [email protected]
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Name: Andrew Roszak
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Organization: Institute for Childhood Preparedness
Website: http://www.childhoodpreparedness.org/
Release ID: 89166347
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