Policy on Security Levels and Resulting Action by Child Care Centers

The Office of Child Care policy regarding alerts has been vetted through the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Protective Service and is designed to follow their guidelines and instructions.

GSA has instructed Child Care associates that it is imperative that all GSA Child Care Centers follow their LOCAL guidelines, warnings, directives or suggestions issued by the Federal Protective Service or other local responsible governmental or police organization. That organization could be another agency's protective group (U.S. Marshals Service, Interior Park Police, Postal Service Police, etc.) or the head of the local Building Security Committee implementing the OEP (usually the lead agency representative in a building) or a town, city or state police agency.

The following GUIDELINES should be considered:

1. If a city or building(s) goes to the SEVERE or RED level and a decision is made to close a specific building(s) or any building where a child care center is located, then the child care center should be notified that the building is closing and given a certain amount of time to notify parents and close down the operation.

2. If a city or building(s) goes to the SEVERE or RED level and a decision is made to close the building(s) but that those employees designated as "essential" are to remain, then the child care center should be notified of that action and given a specific amount of time to notify parents and close down their operation.

3. If a city or building(s) goes to the SEVERE or RED level and a decision is made NOT to close a specific building or any building where a child care center is located, then the child care center should be notified and THEY can decide what they want to do.

Code red is for very specific threats and thus may necessitate closing particular center(s) or federal building(s) depending on what the threat is. There is no blanket policy that requires going to code red if a war starts. Red Alert, by FPS standards, is a focused approach to local conditions based on the highest levels of risk. A Red Alert in one community may or may not effect adjacent communities let alone entire states or regions.

GSA does not propose a blanket policy of closing centers region wide or nationwide. If a federal building is open, safe and functioning then the child care center should be open as well. Closing child care centers for indefinite periods of time will run these centers out of business.

March 2003