Children's Working Group

Fact Sheet

Children comprise approximately 25 percent of our population, and are the future of our communities, but their unique needs often have not been considered in emergency planning, or are often thought of only after the initial plan has been written. FEMA has taken critical steps to ensure that we plan for the whole community, understanding that we must recognize and address children's disaster related needs.

The Children's Working Group (CWG) was established by Administrator Fugate in August 2009, and is responsible for leading FEMA's efforts, in partnership with other Federal agencies, to ensure that the needs of children are considered and integrated into all disaster planning, preparedness, response and recovery efforts initiated at the Federal level. The Working Group is chaired by a member of senior leadership and comprised of a lead coordinator and representatives from virtually all sectors of the Agency.

In order to address children's disaster related needs holistically, this internal team collaborates and consults with subject matter experts from within the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, and Department of Justice, other Federal and international partners, and non-governmental stakeholders.

Primary focus areas of the CWG include, but are not limited to:

• Evacuation, tracking, and reunification of families;
• Increased public awareness efforts to educate families and protect children during disasters;
• Disaster related needs of children with disabilities;
• Coordinated case management and crisis counseling support;
• Restoration and reimbursement of child care facilities and services;
• Incorporation of children's needs into sheltering, grant and overall planning guidance, to include national level exercises; and
• Improved coordination across the Federal government and with State, local, and tribal partners in support of children's education, health and housing.

  Efforts Taken to Fully Integrate Children's Disaster Related Needs

• FEMA's 2010 Homeland Security Grant Program Guidance provides clarification as to how grant dollars may be used to support preparedness and planning activities for children;
• Children's disaster related needs have been integrated into several planning and guidance documents, to include the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 version 2 which serves as a framework for all planning guidance;
• FEMA is partnering closely with our sister agencies to support the development of emergency preparedness planning guidance and overall efforts of addressing children's disaster related needs;
• FEMA and the Department of Health and Human Services - Administration for Children and Families (ACF) finalized an Inter Agency Agreement allowing for the rapid deployment of case managers by ACF to a disaster affected area when requested by a State following a Presidentially declared disaster;
• FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI) developed a classroom/independent course titled “Planning for Children and Disasters” which provides emergency managers and implementers of children's programs with guidance on meeting children's disaster related needs; EMI has reported 1,770 successful completions;
• FEMA has clarified reimbursement eligibility for child care services under the Stafford Act, guidance has been disseminated to FEMA Regions and key stakeholders and child care grantee's;
• Members of the CWG collaborated with the American Red Cross, Commission, and other pediatric experts to develop an Infant and Toddler Shelter Supply List identifying the basic items necessary to sustain infants and children in mass care shelters and emergency congregate care environments. This list has been integrated into various FEMA planning/guidance documents;
• FEMA coordinated the procurement of infant supplies to support evacuees of the Haiti Earthquake and pre-positioned supplies in support of Hurricane Earl;
• FEMA's National Mass Evacuation Tracking System has been enhanced to flag unaccompanied minors ensuring that they are safe and in the guardianship of their State's social service agency;
• FEMA's Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS) launched a Children and Disaster page to be utilized by practitioners and others in the emergency management community;
• FEMA expanded its Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP) Program reaching an additional 6,000 students. The program was initially piloted in Region 1, reaching 4,400 students during the 2008-2009 school year; and
• FEMA and the Department of Education co-led a Youth Summit focused on supporting a structured and comprehensive approach to preparedness education for youth – participants included Federal, State, Tribal and local governments, non-governmental stakeholders, pediatric experts, and emergency management specialists from Australia, Chile, Israel, and New Zealand.

It is the goal of the CWG to help create a lasting positive change, at every level of government, when it comes to planning for, and successfully addressing children's needs in times of disaster.

 FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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