When disasters such as pandemics or hurricanes occur, being prepared at all levels is crucial. Being ready for disasters involves creating plans, preparing to manage during a disaster, and enhancing critical infrastructure prior to a disaster. In this section, find resources to help child welfare professionals and families plan for how to handle disasters.
Resources for professionals
Building Capacity for Disaster Preparedness at a Child Welfare Agency
Capacity Building Center for States
Helps agencies build capacity by offering tools for developing policies and practices to be more flexible and effective in their response to disaster and disaster planning.
Building the Capacity to Pivot: Planning for Future Disasters
Capacity Building Center for States (2020)
Children’s Bureau Express, 21(6)
Explores strategies for responding to disaster-related challenges in child welfare and provides information on how States can integrate disaster planning into their regular Federal planning processes.
| Series Title | Factsheets |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 532KB) Order (Free) |
| Year Published | 2016 |
Use What You Have: Supporting the Child Welfare Workforce During a Disaster
Capacity Building Center for States (2020)
Children’s Bureau Express, 21(9)
Offers lessons learned about how to support child welfare workers during a disaster. The article reviews how to build on existing technology, how to use existing relationships to facilitate change, and the importance of focusing on self-care and personal safety during disasters.
Resources for families
COVID-19 Resources
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Offers a variety of resources to help guide how an infectious disease outbreak or pandemic might affect your family physically and emotionally and how to help your family cope.
COVID-19 Resources and Information
ChildCare.gov
Provides State and territory-specific resources targeted to support families and child care providers with COVID-19 pandemic information and its impact on child care.
Emergency Planning With Children
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (2021)
Offers information on disaster planning with children and the importance of involving youth in emergency planning. The webpage provides links to resources on how to start a youth preparedness program.
Emergency Response
Save the Children
Describes emergency response programs for children and families and current disaster relief and emergency response efforts underway around the world.
How Families Can Prepare for Emergencies
American Red Cross
Reviews preparedness for families and how adults can talk to children about disasters in advance and guide them during a disaster. The webpage also offers disaster preparedness resources for youth.
Hurricanes: Preparing and Responding to the Needs of Children
Save the Children
Explains key topics for parents to discuss with their children before, during, and after a hurricane.
Plan Ahead
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020)
Outlines preparedness tips and information on how to stay healthy, connected, calm, and informed during an emergency and on how to create an emergency action plan.
Preparation: Family
Youth.gov
Outlines what families and youth should know about disasters in order to plan, how to collaborate to develop a family emergency plan, and the importance of a disaster preparation kit.
Ready Wrigley
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Connects to topic-specific activity books designed to prepare children ages 2–8 for natural and man-made disasters.