Disaster Preparedness Resource Guide for Child Welfare Agencies

Targeted Teachings

This publication caters to a very specific audience — child welfare organizations. It offers agencies guidance that spans a wide range of discipline-specific challenges, such as: ensuring that children attend school regularly; connecting children and families with disaster recovery funds; and minimizing the loss of foster parents post-crisis.

Useful Tool No. 1

One disaster mangement planning tool packed into this guide — a 10-item checklist — serves as a starting point by helping readers identify their most pressing preparedness needs.

Useful Tool No. 2

Another disaster management planning tool—a four-page recommendations cheat sheet—allows planners to quickly locate content within the guide en route to building or strengthening their agency’s disaster management strategy.

Important Prep Work

Agencies can use this guide to forge a solid crisis management foundation before disaster ever strikes. Some of the many best practices it highlights on this front include: establishing written agreements with nearby schools and the local fire and police departments as well as securing out-of-state 1-800 numbers and publicizing this contact information in advance.

Acting in an Emergency

Readers will learn to strategize solutions for obstacles that are likely to arise when a crisis hits. For instance, this guide asks agencies to consider how they plan to: disperse emergency discretionary funds; assess the immediate needs of disaster-stricken children and families; and identify and serve newly displaced children.

Recovery Recommendations

This guide offers planning tips for weathering a disaster’s aftermath. Some proposed pointers include: offering staff treatment for trauma and secondary trauma; reevaluating each child’s permanency goals to accommodate for any crisis-driven changes; and instructing caregivers on how to talk with their children about disasters.