1st Edition

Managing Children in Disasters Planning for Their Unique Needs

    394 Pages 46 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Each year, disasters such as house fires, car accidents, tsunamis, earthquakes, and hurricanes impact hundreds of thousands of children. Child victims can suffer disproportionately and the physical and psychological damage sustained can far outweigh the same effects in adults, often requiring years of therapy. Sadly, emergency planners to date have largely failed to adequately recognize and accommodate the particular requirements of children in times of disaster.

    Identify Needs

    Highlighting the infrastructure that supports children in a safe and secure community, Managing Children in Disasters begins by identifying the special needs of children, including physical security, emotional stability, family unity, and ongoing education. It looks at how hazard mitigation actions can reduce the long- term impact of a disaster on this infrastructure, and outlines the many steps that can be taken by parents, emergency managers, school officials, and child care providers to prepare for a future incident.

    Target Resources

    The book reviews what agencies and organizations can do to ensure that children are protected and families remain intact. It examines evacuation plans and processes, emergency shelters, and the recovery and rebuilding process. The final chapter provides a list of resources in emergency planning, psychosocial recovery, training and education courses, technical assistance, and other organizations. It includes examples of existing programs, reports, sample plans, and guides written for children.

    Offering guidance for the family and community, this book discusses the types of efforts that can be undertaken in all phases of emergency management including preparation, immediate response, and recovery.

    Unique Needs of Children in Disasters
    Children as a Special Population
    Physical and Physiological Vulnerabilities
    Developmental and Social Vulnerabilities
    Psychological Vulnerabilities
    Safety and Security Vulnerabilities
    What Are the Special Emergency Response Needs of Children?
    Family Unity
    Child Infrastructure
    Families
    Schools
    Child Care Providers and Caregivers
    Critical Infrastructure
    Health and Hospital Infrastructure
    Social Services
    Mitigation
    Community Infrastructure and Children
    Mitigating Community Infrastructure for Children
    Preparedness
    Preparedness Actions
    Emergency Operations Plans
    School Preparedness
    Emergency Shelters
    Building Resiliency
    American Red Cross: Children and Disasters
    Response
    Developing a Functional Annex for Children to the
    Community Emergency Operations Plan
    Notification
    Evacuation
    Shelters
    Voluntary Organizations Involved with Children in Disasters
    Separation from Family
    Recovery
    The Recovery Needs of Children Are Recognized
    Providing and Restoring the Infrastructure That Supports
    Children in a Community, Including Temporary Housing,
    Schools, and Child Care Facilities
    Providing Mental Health Support and Services
    National Disaster Recovery Framework
    Emergency Management Resources Focused on
    Children’s Needs
    Emergency Planning
    Sample Plans
    Psychosocial Recovery
    Training and Education Courses and Materials
    Technical Assistance
    Reports
    Organizations
    Web Links
    Appendices
    Index

    Biography

    Jane Bullock is a Research Scientist and Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. She is also Principal in Bullock and Haddow LLC, a homeland security and disaster management consulting firm.
    George D. Haddow holds is a Research Scientist and Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. He is the second Principal at Bullock and Haddow LLC.

     Managing Children in Disasters is a welcome addition to the growing body of literature in an area that has sorely needed it. The authors cite the latest studies and best practices on the subject, referencing the current list of resources available from leading children advocacy organizations. The result offers an invaluable resource on the challenges of providing for the needs of children during crises and natural hazard events.

    – Mark K. Shriver, Chairman of the National Commission on Children in Disasters and Senior Vice President of Save the Children's U.S. Programs