Should I be a school emergency contact when I am away during the school day?
Neighbours“You're the nearest person we know,” my neighbour said, passing me the school contact form.
Our front doors are ten steps apart. On weekdays I work forty minutes away, and I can't routinely leave at short notice. She wanted to list me as someone who could collect her daughter if the school couldn't reach either parent.
I said I could answer a phone call if I was free, but that wasn't the same as promising collection. She replied that emergencies hardly ever happen and the school simply needed another name.
I would like to help. I also don't want the form to suggest I am available in a way I have already said I am not. Her usual backup has moved away, so this isn't just a paperwork question for her.
How do I find out what this particular school expects before agreeing? I am happy to discuss a limited role with her and the school, but I don't want “we live next door” to stand in for a plan to get a child collected during my workday.