What would happen to DC if DH and I were in an accident

[MrsGface]

DH and I are not originally from the UK. We live here now with 5 year old DC who was born here. DH has a sister in another UK city, all of the rest of our families are in our home country.

At school today, they were talking about some children whose parents had died, and DC asked how they would get to school without us. I said that they wouldn’t go to their school, instead they would go to live with my sister. The next question was how they would get to the airport by themselves . It sparked me thinking that it could take some time before they linked DC to us and then to our families abroad.

If DH and I were in an accident, how would the police/social services etc track down our family in our home country to let them know? What would happen to DC in the meantime?

I am in same situation. It's in my will that they would live with my sister. I assumed she would get them. She knows that she's in my will.

I guess I’d better write a will then
Is that what would trigger contacting my family?

If you were in an accident then whichever emergency service attended would look after your dc until a suitable person was able to collect them. Police or paramedics would contact a social worker. Dc might be placed in emergency Foster care while efforts were made to locate family. This might involve getting details from the dc's school, the DVLA, the police, knocking on neighbours or gaining info from the dc if they are old enough to give them.

Family in your home country can be traced via an embassy. While i don't know the exact process, my work with a number of kids who family members have been located for despite sketchy info being available. It takes time, though. Social workers would contact family in this country initially.

Presumably if they’re not with you they’re with people known to you. If you eg don’t turn up at school And are not contactable social care would be called and they’re first step would be to use your emergency contact to find friends or family. Social services are always really keen to keep kids with people they know!

My husband and I live in a country that we’re not originally from, and our relatives are in the U.K. (we’re in Australia).
If we were in an accident we have nominated a close friend to look after our children until their grandparents can get here. Another close friend has our will (she’s a solicitor) and she is also our backup looking after person.
If the children are in their teens (they are currently 10 and 8) they can choose whether to stay in Aus with these friends or go to their legal guardians in the U.K. (my brother in law and his family). We have set up a trust to pay for their expenses in either eventuality. The older son will also become legal guardian for the younger when he turns 18.
It’s a terrible thought but living so far from family did have to make us look at the practicalities.

Our school also has emergency contacts - does yours not have that? So if you didn’t turn up to pick them up, the emergency contact would be called.