Daycare lockdown and active-threat drill rules.

Lockdown drills are the newest thing on a daycare's safety calendar, and the most uneven. Some states require them, some say nothing, and the difference between a good one and a harmful one is large.

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Whether a daycare must run lockdown drills depends on the state. Some state child care licensing agencies require them and set a frequency; many do not. The national standard, Caring for Our Children, 4th edition (2019), calls for a written emergency plan that covers securing the building against a threat, but it does not set a single national drill count. Where drills happen, they should be calm and age-appropriate.

Are daycares required to do lockdown drills?

Sometimes. This is the honest answer, and it frustrates parents who assume there is a single rule. Unlike fire drills, which nearly every state requires, lockdown or active-threat drills are mandated by some state child care licensing agencies and not others, and the requirements have shifted fast in recent years. The binding rule is your state's, not a national one.

Caring for Our Children frames a lockdown under one written emergency plan rather than as a standalone mandate, alongside fire and weather. So a center can be fully compliant and run frequent lockdown drills, or fully compliant and run none, depending on where it operates. That is why you have to ask rather than assume. For the requirement that is universal, see our guide to daycare fire drill and evacuation requirements.

How do you drill without scaring toddlers?

Frame it as a quiet game and keep the realism for the adults. Best practice, consistent with American Academy of Pediatrics guidance on school drills, is to avoid simulating an attacker, avoid sounds or props that mimic violence, and never use surprise or high-intensity tactics on young children. The staff rehearse the real procedure; the children practice a calm version.

1. Tell the children the truth, simply. "Sometimes we practice being very quiet and staying together in our safe spot." No images of intruders, no graphic detail.
2. No simulations. No one plays the role of an attacker. No fake gunshots, no banging on doors, no actors. The American Academy of Pediatrics is clear that these harm young children.
3. Practice the mechanics calmly. Lock the door, cover or move away from windows, lights off, gather in the designated spot, stay quiet. Make it feel like a game of stillness.
4. Keep it short and end it warmly. A brief drill, then back to normal play, with reassurance. Watch for any child who seems frightened and follow up.
5. Debrief the adults, not the children. Staff review what went wrong out of earshot. Note it in the drill log.

Lockdown vs shelter-in-place

They are different events with overlapping actions. A lockdown secures the building against a person: an intruder, or police activity nearby. Doors locked, lights off, children kept quiet and away from windows. A shelter-in-place keeps everyone inside against an outside hazard such as severe weather, a chemical spill, or wildfire smoke, where the air or conditions outside are the danger.

A good emergency plan writes both, because the response a teacher reaches for has to match the actual threat. Confusing the two wastes the seconds that matter.

What parents should ask

Ask whether your state requires lockdown drills and how the center runs them. The reassuring answer describes a calm, no-simulation practice and confirms families are told in advance. Many state licensing rules and the American Academy of Pediatrics support informing parents, so a child who talks about hiding does not blindside a parent who was never told.

Ask about the building, too: a main entrance that locks, a way to see who is at the door before opening it, and a staff member who controls entry. For how this fits the larger safety picture, see our daycare safety checklist and our older overview of daycare lockdown drills.

Bottom line

Lockdown drill rules are set by your state, not by a national standard, so the first move is to ask whether yours requires them. Where they happen, the test is simple: calm, no simulation of a threat, no surprise, families informed, per American Academy of Pediatrics guidance and Caring for Our Children (2019). A drill that prepares the adults without frightening the children is the one that is done right. Realism for its own sake is the warning sign.