Search results

In December 2012, as part of the recovery effort following Superstorm Sandy, the Administration for Children and Families partnered with the US Environmental Protection Agency and held an audio conference call offering guidance on returning children to storm-impacted facilities.

The following is a summary of State policy changes to immunization requirements for children who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina enrolling in child care programs. Included is information from a sample of States that made policy changes in response to the hurricane, including Florida, which waived documentation requirements for its prekindergarten program.

The following is a sample of Federal agencies, national organizations, and publications that have information for child care providers about emergency preparedness and disaster response. OCC does not endorse any non-Federal organization, publication, or resource.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 800-232-4636 www.cdc.gov

As more States implement formal emergency planning processes for the child care sector, planning for both family reunification and sheltering children in place are becoming part of the national landscape for regulatory agencies and other stakeholders. Recently, the congressionally mandated National Commission on Children and Disasters (NCCD) issued its final recommendations to the President and Congress.

ACF Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR) http://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohsepr/

Resources:

For the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010-2011 Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan period, CCDF Lead Agencies were required to report the status of formal emergency planning and response processes for the child care sector. Among the information reported was whether emergency preparedness efforts are in the planning, development, or implementation phase; and with which agencies and/or organizations the Lead Agency coordinates with in these efforts. This document includes direct excerpt from CCDF Plans. Minor revisions were incorporated in order to enhance readability.

The following are excerpts from State child care center licensing regulations about emergency preparedness planning and response. These examples do not include all States that have emergency preparedness requirements, but are meant to represent a range of approaches that States have taken to ensure that providers and families are prepared for emergencies. This information was compiled from the child care licensing regulations posted on the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education’s Web site at http://nrckids.org/STATES/states.htm.

States and Territory child care administrators and child care licensing agencies are important players in ensuring that the child care provider community is prepared in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, widespread utility outage, outbreak of infectious disease, or other emergencies.