Wisconsin's Child Alert Program

An Emergency Response System For Children with Special Health Care Needs

Children and Youth with special health care needs are at risk for needing emergency care.  Emergency medical personnel who are aware of children with special health care needs and the nature of their condition before an emergency occurs are better able to respond quickly and more efficiently when an emergency call is received.

The Child Alert Program is designed to help parents and guardians ensure that their children, teenagers and young adults with special health needs get the best possible emergency care from their community emergency medical service providers. Child Alert allows parents and the local emergency response team to plan in advance for your child's care in the event of an emergency.

Families can enroll their children and youth with special health care needs in the Child Alert Program by completing the Emergency Information Form (EIF). The form includes the physician's name and phone number, along with information about specialty physicians who are involved in a child's care, diagnoses information, immunization data and more. The completed form will help to ensure that a child's complicated medical history is summarized and available when it is needed most. 

If you have a child with special health care needs, we suggest that you do the following:

1. Complete a copy of the EIF with your child's physician. His or her signature is required at the bottom of the form. The EIF form may be downloaded from the American College of Emergency Physicians site by clicking here.
2. Keep a copy of the form with yourself and your child at all times. 
3. If your child attends school, give a copy to the school nurse, and to any other individuals who are involved in the care of your child. This could include your child's daycare provider, grandparents, babysitter, etc.
4. Notify the ambulance provider in your area of your child's special needs and share with them the emergency information form so they will be better prepared in an emergency.
5. It is also important that this information is kept up to date as the child's needs, medications, and treatments change. Change of address and phone numbers, including physicians, should also be updated as needed.
6. Once this form is updated, it is important that the revised form is shared with the individuals mentioned above.
7. In the event of an emergency, call 911. State the nature of the emergency and the location.

Future Vision for the Child Alert Program for Southeast Wisconsin

Various Emergency Medical Service agencies throughout the state are using the Child Alert Program in their own way. Small counties with limited resources keep paper copies of the EIF available at the Emergency Medical Service agency.

The Child Alert Facilitators for the southeast region, who are located at Children's Hospital and Health System of Wisconsin, are in the process of developing the Child Alert Program for Milwaukee and surrounding counties. The vision is to create an electronic database containing the essential elements of the emergency information form. An electronic database would mean that information would be available 24 hours a day -- seven days a week without a paper system and patient information would be protected.

To learn more about Child Alert program click here.