Children's Working Group

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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 and non-governmental stakeholders, 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.

Lauralee Koziol, Lead Coordinator of FEMA's Children's Working Group
Paulette Aniskoff, Chair of FEMA's Children's Working Group

Children's Working Group Key Focus Areas

The top priority of the Children’s Working Group is to examine, develop and continue to implement plans in:

Supporting state and local efforts to help in the evacuation, tracking, and reunification of families if they get separated;
Meeting the needs of children with disabilities during disasters;
Funding the support to coordinate case management and crisis counseling for children and families who are disaster survivors through the Department of Health and Human Services;
Increasing public awareness efforts to educate youth and families about emergency preparedness;
Restoration and reimbursement of child care facilities and services which play an important role in helping a community to recover from a disaster.
Incorporating children’s needs into planning and sheltering guidance, emergency management grants, and overall emergency planning and operational efforts; and
Improving coordination across the Federal government and with state, local, and tribal and territorial partners in support of children’s disaster related needs.

Children’s Working Group Fact Sheet