Kyiv Authorities Clarify Rules for Daycare Centers During an Emergency
The procedures to follow during an air raid alert for preschool institutions in Kyiv remain unchanged. Regardless of the alert level—“yellow” or “red”—preschool staff must follow the approved response plan, and children and staff must proceed to the shelter.
If an air raid alert is declared before the start of the workday, the preschool will not open until the “Air Raid Alert Over” signal is given and staff have arrived at their workplaces.
The Kyiv City State Administration explains that this is necessary to ensure staff can safely reach the preschool. Accordingly, children are admitted after the alert has ended and once staff have arrived at their workplaces.
Parents are advised not to leave a safe location and head to the preschool during an air raid alert, as this may endanger the life and health of both the adult and the child.
If an air raid alert begins while parents are already on their way to the daycare center, their first priority should be to ensure their safety and proceed to the nearest shelter.
If the nearest shelter is the kindergarten’s shelter, parents may go there on their own with their child and hand the child over to a designated staff member.
At the same time, staff members do not leave the shelter to meet parents, as this could endanger other children. Once the child is received, the staff member ensures the child remains in the shelter with the other children until the air raid alarm ends.
When an air raid siren sounds during school hours, designated staff members escort the children to the shelter in an organized manner.
After moving to the shelter, a headcount is conducted to verify the presence of every child and to address their individual needs. The children remain in the shelter under the supervision of staff until the danger has passed.
The Kyiv City State Administration also noted that, in accordance with paragraph 5 of Article 52 of the Law of Ukraine “On Preschool Education,” civil defense shelters, including the simplest shelters and bomb shelters located on the premises and/or within the territory of preschool education institutions, are used exclusively to protect participants in the educational process. The law is currently in force in its current version.
Thus, during an air raid alert, the main rule for parents is not to expose themselves or their children to danger and to proceed to a shelter. The actions of kindergarten staff are determined by an approved response protocol.
This was reported by the Department of Education and Science of the Kyiv City State Administration.
As a reminder, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved updated rules for the operation of medical facilities depending on the level of air threat.
The “Air Raid Alert” app has introduced yellow and red danger levels. This update is designed to help users better assess the nature of the threat and respond more quickly to changes in the security situation.
