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  • Planning for Disasters

Planning for Disasters

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
  • Resources for families

Resources for professionals

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.

Coping With Disasters and Strengthening Systems: Disaster Impact Planning Matrix 
Capacity Building Center for States (2021)
Presents a matrix to help disaster-planning teams assess their capacity to respond to and plan for disasters. The document also includes a tool that can help address additional disaster outcomes, activities, and questions not covered in the matrix.

Embedding Equity Into Disaster Preparedness Efforts in Child Welfare

Series Title
Factsheets
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Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published
2021
Presents child welfare strategies for reducing disparities for children, youth, and families of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds in the wake of disasters.

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.

Working With Children, Youth, and Families on Disaster Preparedness

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Bulletins for Professionals
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Year Published
2021
Discusses the importance of disaster planning in child welfare and how caseworkers and supervisors can prepare themselves and the families on their caseloads for emergencies. It also provides information on response and recovery strategies that child welfare professionals can use in the event of a disaster.

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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.

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