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Resilient & Ready Communities
March 18, 2010
Children and Emergencies
Goal: Reduce Risks for ChildrenGoal: Reduce Risks for Children• Advocacy & Policy Change
– Chair the National Commission on Children and Disasters– FEMA’s National Advisory Council– National and State VOAD Member
• Preparedness, Response and Recovery Programming
Save the ChildrenDomestic Emergencies Unit
Resilient & Ready Communities InitiativeResilient & Ready Communities Initiative– Addressing Children’s Needs in Emergency Operation Plans– Briefing Emergency Relief Organizations and Officials– Coordinating county-specific Children and Emergencies Working
Groups– Developing community capacity : Temporary Respite Care– Providing Disaster Risk Reduction Programs
• Resource: – “Children in Emergencies Planning Guide” to assist local and state emergency planners
Save the ChildrenDomestic Emergencies Unit
Children’s Unique Needs in Emergencies
Children are not “little adults.” They have unique needs that must be addressed to ensure their safety and well-being:
Physical protection Psychosocial protection
Cognitive protection
National Commission on Children and Disasters
• Authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008
• The Commission is tasked with:– Conducting comprehensive study examining children’s needs– Reviewing / evaluating existing laws, regulations, policies, programs– Reviewing, and evaluating the lessons learned from past disasters – Reporting to the President & Congress on its findings & recommendations
• Appendix C: “Supplies for Infants and Toddlers in Mass Care Shelters and Emergency Congregate Care Facilities” (NCCD Interim Report) – Essential Items to support children’s safety and well-being
National Progress for Children
National Progress for Children
FEMA and Administrator Fugate’s Commitment:
• Children’s Working Group
• DHS 2010 HSPG Supplemental Resource: Children in Disasters Guidance
• No Unfunded Mandates
National Standards & Indicators for Mass Care
• Standards and Indicators for Disaster Shelter Care for Children (ARC)– Temporary Respite Care for Children
• Shelter Guidance (STC) – Low Cost and No Cost Guidance to mitigate risks
• Counting Children• Family dormitory areas• Private breastfeeding area for women
National Progress for Children
Suggested Child-Focused Checklist
Emergency Planning and Training Emergency Planning and Training
Include needs of children across Include needs of children across emergency training and exercisesemergency training and exercises
Designate individual as children’s Designate individual as children’s needs coordinatorneeds coordinator
Provide staff with briefings on Provide staff with briefings on children’s unique needs and how children’s unique needs and how they can protect and support they can protect and support children in their rolechildren in their role
Suggested Child-Focused Checklist
EvacuationEvacuation
Include child-tracking and family-reunification Include child-tracking and family-reunification procedures in emergency planprocedures in emergency plan
Mass CareMass Care Provide safe shelter environments for children and Provide safe shelter environments for children and
families, including access to essential, age-appropriate families, including access to essential, age-appropriate supplies Includes supplies Includes
Physical and Mental HealthPhysical and Mental Health Capability of hospital Emergency Departments to Capability of hospital Emergency Departments to
provide effective care for children provide effective care for children
Basic psychological first aid training for emergency Basic psychological first aid training for emergency personnel to assist childrenpersonnel to assist children
Suggested Child-Focused Checklist
Disaster plans for child care facilitiesDisaster plans for child care facilities Evacuation, reunification, children with disabilities or Evacuation, reunification, children with disabilities or
special medical needs training and drillsspecial medical needs training and drills Plans on file with state and local emergency management Plans on file with state and local emergency management
and licensing officesand licensing offices Plan for establishing emergency child carePlan for establishing emergency child care
Long-term disaster recovery plan for children Long-term disaster recovery plan for children and familiesand families Includes family-appropriate housing, schools, child care, Includes family-appropriate housing, schools, child care,
mental health, medical care, child welfare, juvenile justice mental health, medical care, child welfare, juvenile justice and court facilitiesand court facilities
How can you address children’s needs in emergencies?
• Make it a priority in your organization to improve emergency planning/response to meet the needs of children.
• Review guiding documents• Participate in your upcoming, county-
specific Children and Emergencies Working Groups.
• Contact me to set up trainings for your organization’s personnel and volunteers in– Temporary Respite Care– Briefing on children and emergencies
Questions? Comments?
Gabriel Martin NehrbassProgram Specialist
Resilient & Ready CommunitiesDomestic Emergencies Unit
Cell: [email protected]
Thank you!Thank you!
