Child Care Tip Sheet #1
CHILD CARE IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF KATRINA RECOVERY EFFORTS
(Available also in Word and PDF)

TO: Recovery Workers/Volunteers

RE: Child Care Needs of Displaced Families

Are you in direct contact with displaced families, providing services or counseling? As you talk with displaced families, remember that child care will be important for them now or in months to come, as they begin to re-establish their lives. Use the following list of child care resources to help meet the needs of:

• parents as they search for jobs and housing, return to work, and attend to emotional health
• displaced child care providers as they seek employment or rebuild their business
• children for a secure, stable, supervised setting to support their growth and development.   

CHILD CARE RESOURCES for DISPLACED FAMILIES

For Parents

• Child Care Aware - Refers families to local Resource & Referral (R&R) agencies for help finding child care in their area and information on financial assistance to pay for child care. (800) 424-2246, http://www.childcareaware.org/
• Head Start /Early Head Start Programs - for low-income families with children up to five years of age. (866) 763-6481, http://www.headstartinfo.org/hurricane_rir.htm
• Operation Hurricane Katrina Relief - Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA).  All military families displaced by Hurricane Katrina are eligible to receive a financial subsidy in licensed child care during this time.  (800) 424-2246, http://www.naccrra.org/MilitaryPrograms

For Displaced Child Care Providers

• Child Care Aware – Use zip code to locate Resource & Referral (R&R) agency in new area to call to report/update operation status. (800) 424-2246, http://www.childcareaware.org/
• State Child Care Licensing Office – Telephone numbers available at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=licensing
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Affiliates – Professional development and networking opportunities for early childhood professionals http://www.naeyc.org/affiliates/sites.asp, http://www.naeyc.org/affiliates/complete.asp
• National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) – Articles and links on:
• Starting a Family Child Care Program http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/startup.pdf;
• Starting a Child Care Center http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/startup.pdf

For Helping Young Children

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) - Helping Young Children After a Disaster http://www.naeyc.org/families/disaster.asp
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) - Professional resources for service providers in response to Katrina, including assistance in trauma recovery and crisis counseling http://www.samhsa.gov/Matrix/professional_disaster.aspx
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) – Resources addressing physical and emotional needs of children, including Children’s Mental Health Needs During Disasters http://aap.org
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW) – Methods and techniques parents may use to help their children cope with disaster and a reference guide for post-trauma home and school care http://www.naswdc.org/pressroom/events/katrina05/default.asp
• National Mental Health Association (NMHA) – Helping children cope with disaster http://nmha.org/reassurance/hurricane/children.cfm