Updating Emergency Contacts at School: A Family Communication Checklist

By the Healthy Learning Environments Guide Team

that families review their child’s emergency plan yearly and keep contact information current with the school or childcare setting, precisely because this information goes stale quietly.

What does “emergency contact” actually cover?

It usually means more than one list. CDC’s family preparedness guidance describes keeping a contact card — at school and at home — with your child’s name, date of birth, and any medical conditions or allergies; contact information for the school or caregiver; contact information for parents or guardians; and contact information for people to call if a parent cannot be reached. Some schools also separate “who to call” from “who can pick up,” which is worth confirming directly, since that split isn’t standardized nationally.

What can a school legally share, and with whom?

This is the part families ask about most, and it’s where the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) sets clear rules.

• Parents generally have the right to inspect and review their child’s education records, and a school must provide that access within 45 calendar days of a request.
• If a parent believes part of a record is inaccurate or misleading, FERPA gives them the right to ask the school to correct it, and the school must respond.
• Schools may share directory information — like a student’s name or grade level — without separate consent, unless a parent has opted out. Schools must tell parents each year what counts as directory information and how to opt out.
• Under FERPA’s health-or-safety-emergency exception, a school may share information from a student’s record without prior parental consent when necessary to protect the student or others during an emergency.
• “School officials” with a “legitimate educational interest” can access student records without consent — but FERPA lets each school define who qualifies, so that definition varies by school and is worth asking about directly.

What’s confirmed by federal guidance, and what depends on your school?

Some of this is standardized nationally. Some of it isn’t, and no article can tell you your specific school’s policy.

Confirmed by federal guidance: the FERPA access and correction rights above, the directory-information opt-out requirement, the health-or-safety emergency disclosure exception, and CDC’s recommendation to review contact information yearly.

Not standardized — confirm with your school: how many emergency contacts you’re allowed to list and in what call order; whether a non-parent contact can pick up your child or can only be called; how the school verifies identity at pickup during a drill or real event; and whether updates happen online, on paper, or only through the front office.

A step-by-step checklist for reviewing your child’s emergency contacts

1. Confirm the primary parent or guardian contacts. Check that current phone numbers and at least one alternate way to reach each parent or guardian are on file.
2. Review who else is listed. Emergency contacts and pickup authorization are often separate lists. Confirm both match who you currently want contacted or trusted with your child.
3. Check the contact order. If your school calls contacts in sequence, make sure the most reachable person during school hours is listed first.
4. Update immediately after any household change. A move, a new number, a custody change, or a new caregiver is a reason to update the form right away, not at the next annual notice.
5. Ask what’s designated as directory information this year. Confirm what your school shares by default and how to opt out if you don’t want it shared.
6. Ask how reunification works. Confirm how you’d be notified during an emergency or evacuation, and where you’d go for pickup if the usual location isn’t available.
7. Keep a portable copy. A simple contact card in your child’s backpack and your own wallet — school contact information, your contact information, and your emergency contacts — helps if phones or systems are down.
8. Log the review date. Note when you last checked this so next year’s review takes five minutes instead of twenty.

Questions worth asking the school office

• How many emergency contacts can we list, and can we set the call order?
• Is there a difference between who you’d call and who’s authorized for pickup?
• How and when do you notify families about directory information sharing?
• Can updates be made online, or does it require a paper form or office visit?
• How would you reach us, and where would we go, during an evacuation or lockdown?

For a broader look at how families, schools, and community groups divide responsibility on questions like this one, see Family–School–Community Coordination That Works, which maps roles across an entire coordination plan rather than one form. This page’s scope and independence statement are covered on Start Here.

Common questions

Do I have the right to see what’s in my child’s education record?

Generally, yes. FERPA gives parents the right to inspect and review their child’s education records, and a school must provide that access within 45 calendar days of a request.

Can a school share my child’s information without asking me first?

In some cases. Designated directory information can be shared unless you’ve opted out, and FERPA’s health-or-safety-emergency exception allows disclosure without consent when it’s necessary to protect the student or others during an emergency.

What if my child’s record has a mistake in it?

FERPA gives parents the right to ask a school to correct information they believe is inaccurate or misleading, and the school is required to respond to that request.

How often should I update this information?

CDC recommends reviewing your child’s emergency plan and contact information yearly, and updating it immediately whenever something changes — a new number, address, caregiver, or custody arrangement.

What this checklist does not cover

This page does not collect, store, or transmit any student information, and it is not a substitute for your school’s official emergency contact form. It does not address individual custody disputes, special education records, or medical care planning — those depend on your child’s specific record and are best handled directly with the school and, where relevant, a family law professional. If you believe a school has violated your FERPA rights, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office.

Disclaimer

This article is independent educational content and is not affiliated with any school, district, or government agency. It does not provide legal advice, and it is not a school’s official emergency contact form. For your specific rights and procedures, contact your child’s school directly or consult the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office.