Managing the Aftermath of a Disasters: Lessons Learned

The following information summarizes key lessons learned from State early care and education (ECE) agencies that have supported children, families, and early childhood program staff through the aftermath of disasters.

Communication

• A point person and agency must be established immediately (if not prior to a disaster) to coordinate communication and efforts:
  • All entities affected by and assisting with aftermath management require clear information about the communication and decision structures within communities and at the State-level, including where and how their agency/organization and their own role fit within the response, relief, and recovery phases of a disaster.
• Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agencies’ participation in establishing a communication system is critical; these agencies can serve as a central contact point to ensure communication and continuation of child care services:
  • Send regular updates and information regarding opportunities via daily e-mails or weekly conference calls.
• Provide information about donation options:
  • Encourage cash contributions to reputable organizations
  • Discourage the sending of unsolicited hard goods such as teddy bears, cards, letters, banners, etc.; these type of donations require staff time and logistics management that can be better spent on direct health and safety issues.
• Provide information and resources for child care facilities and schools about how they can help victims and talk with children about the disaster, and what behavior changes to expect.
• Ensure that essential information is available in languages other than English, as appropriate for the population affected.

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Focus of Services

• Facilitate continuation of services when possible:
  • Work with States and local authorities that have agreed to receive displaced families to share data
  • Keep enrollment open
  • Reduce paperwork and simplify enrollment
  • Lift residency requirements.
• Look for flexibility within existing policies, including Federal guidance. For example:
  • The Child Care Bureau issued the Information Memorandum—Flexibility in Spending CCDF Funds in Response to Federal or State Declared Emergency Situations, available on the Web at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb/initiatives/emergency/index.htm
  • The Head Start Bureau issued an Information Memorandum—Hurricane Katrina Relief, available on the Web at http://www.headstartinfo.org/publications/im05/im05_04.htm.
• Expect and plan for an increased need for mental health services for children and families:
  • Hire additional mental health counselors
  • Work with mental health professionals within the State to develop plans for triaging children who show the most critical needs
  • Develop training for providers working with traumatized children
  • Work with other State systems to build an infrastructure to support culturally sensitive community networks for children who may need non-traditional mental health services.
• Work with other agencies to anticipate and support the mental health needs of the provider community:
  • Provide training and support for the providers in regard to their own needs; this is a particularly stressful time for all, and providers serve as an essential “listening ear” for children and parents and families—providers need support and information about how to handle this type of stress without being overwhelmed.
• Work to supplement emergency agencies’ efforts:
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sites often do not have activities for children
    • ECE agencies can facilitate shelters’ receipt of activity kits and educational materials
  • Non-perishable foods, diapers, and wipes for infants and toddlers may be greatly needed for displaced families.
• Expect and prepare for transportation issues that accompany relocation and changing schedules of public school and community-based programs.

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Coordination

• Coordinating with State child care licensing agencies and the Department of Health is critical:
  • Conduct a facilities status survey in the impacted areas
    • This survey is crucial to determining how many slots are available
  • Consider relaxing or authorizing a temporary suspension of regulations such as immunization records
  • Do not relax or suspend critical regulations such as background checks for staff
  • Work with licensing staff to assist with facility relocation by expediting the issuance of provisional licenses for temporary sites
    • Coordinate with local building and fire authorities to expedite reviewing the safety of new facilities in order to speed up the approval/licensing process
  • Share any regulation changes with the field as quickly as possible—to counties if county driven, contracted offices, child care resource and referral agencies, providers, and parents and families.
• Utilize available monies under Federal Department of Labor grants to provide additional funding for child care and jobs for parents affected by the hurricane.
• Assist in the immediate set-up of a local network to manage donations.
• Work to establish mini-grants for disaster relief and award them to providers.
• Work with religious-affiliated organizations and volunteers who do not have to meet certain regulations and can often provide immediate resources.

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