A care plan is a way to share information about your child with others. The plan is written information about how to best care for your child’s health needs. You and your child’s doctor can develop the care plan together.

A care plan may include:

  • What medicines your child takes and when
  • What foods your child should avoid
  • How often your child gets physical therapy
  • What to do for your child in an emergency

How can a care plan help me?

Having written care plans can help you share important information with others who take care of your child. This may include doctors, nurses, therapists, emergency medics, teachers, child care providers, respite providers, grandparents, friends, and neighbors.

Families use care plans in different ways:

  • A parent who has a child with developmental and health issues gives a two page description of her child to doctors, therapists, dentists, teachers, childcare providers, and even visiting family members as a way of “getting everyone on the same page.” She also likes to include a photo of her child.
  • One father of a child with ongoing health issues finds it helpful to write down his questions and concerns before his child’s appointments. This helps him get organized, remember important questions to ask and have a place during the appointment to write out what the “next steps” will be.
  • Another parent of a child who has had several health emergencies, keeps her child’s written care plan with her at all times. It contains important information that doctors or emergency personnel will need to know. She keeps a copy in her purse, in the car, at her child’s school and in the home.

Below are three forms designed to help you create your child’s care plan. You might choose to use one form – or all three. We made these care plans flexible so you may use or change the forms to best meet your child’s needs.

On a mobile device? You can download, fill-in, edit and save our Care Plan forms using the Adobe Acrobat app for iOS and Android.

Getting to Know Me (PDF)

  • Provides space to write about your child’s general health, strengths and challenges.
  • This document is also available in Spanish.

What’s the Plan? (PDF)

  • Designed to help you organize your questions and concerns. Helps to plan for doctor visits and includes space for writing down “next steps.”
  • This document is also available in Spanish.

In Case of Emergency (PDF)

  • Provides information that would be critical to people caring for your child in an emergency.
  • This document is also available in Spanish.
  • You may also want to fill out a wallet-sized Teens In Case of Emergency form to keep with your child at all times.
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