School leaders and first responders meet over “Handle with Care”

MADISON – Madison school leaders met with area first responders, Madison Mayor Ranae Bartlett, National Children’s Advocacy Center, along with Enrichment Center reps, and other area leaders last week to strengthen relationships and share respective roles as the new school year is about to begin.

The centerpiece at the brief orientation was an overview of the Handle With Care initiative pioneered by Madison City Schools in 2023.

Handle With Care is a program in tandem with the National Children’s Advocacy Center that allows first responders and schools to provide trauma sensitive support and care for children who may have experienced it. It works by having 1st responders (fire, police, ambulance etc) notify the school system that of an emergency response related to a child’s home or family such as a house fire, arrest, car accidents etc.

After sending a “Handle With Care” notification (without any detail of the incident to safeguard privacy), the school can use that cue to monitor the student’s behavior/ performance and create a specialized academic counseling services if necessary.

Madison City Schools was the first school system in the state to establish a Handle With Care program, which has now grown to a dozen Alabama school district.

MCS Interim Schools Superintendent Eric Terrell and MCS Safety and Security Coordinator Jamie Golliver said the breakfast at the Central Office was a way to show the school system’s appreciation to fire, police, medical responders and others to better understand their respective responsibilities. School principals were also among those in attendance.

The dialogue helped everyone understand their respective roles and set a great foundation for future joint meetings.