NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS

AHRQ Publication No. 10-M037

October 2010

ISBN No: 978-1-58763-401-7

Advancing Excellence in Health Care www.ahrq.gov

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
NATIONAL COMMISSION

ON 

CHILDREN AND DISASTERS

2010 REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS

OCTOBER 2010
ii NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

The 2010 Report to the President and Congress was produced with funding from the

National Commission on Children and Disasters. The report was prepared under an

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) contract to Abt Associates

(Contract No. 290-06-00011-10).

The opinions expressed in this report are those of the National Commission on

Children and Disasters and do not reflect the official position of AHRQ, the

Administration for Children and Families, or the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services.

This document is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted without

permission except those copyrighted materials noted for which further reproduction is

prohibited without the specific permission of copyright holders.

Suggested Citation

National Commission on Children and Disasters. 2010 Report to the President and

Congress. AHRQ Publication No. 10-M037. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare

Research and Quality. October 2010. 
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT iii

Mr. President and Members of Congress:

The National Commission on Children and Disasters is pleased to submit for your

consideration our 2010 Report to the President and Congress. 

The Commission is an independent, bipartisan body established by Congress and the

President to identify gaps in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery for children and

make recommendations to close the gaps. As required under the Kids in Disasters Wellbeing, Safety, and Health Act of 2007, the Commission delivered an Interim Report to you

on October 14, 2009. This 2010 Report to the President and Congress builds on our

previous findings and recommendations. 

One year ago, the Commission offered a sobering assessment of the national state of disaster

and emergency preparedness for children. As expected, we found serious deficiencies in

each functional area, where children were more often an afterthought than a priority. 

For the past year, we have worked extensively with the Administration, Congress, and nonFederal partners to close these gaps by focusing existing programs and capabilities more

intently on children. A number of recommendations in the Interim Report were

implemented. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) created an intra-agency

working group to serve as a focal point for policy on children and disasters that has been

actively addressing issues raised by the Commission. More recently, the Department of

Health and Human Services (HHS) created its own intra-agency working group that began

meeting in May of this year. The Commission has been a driving force in fostering stronger

inter-agency collaboration among FEMA, HHS, the Department of Education, and the

Department of Justice to address the disaster needs of children. Important progress was

made to provide a safer environment and age-appropriate supplies for children in mass care

shelters, and we achieved a heightened recognition of child care as an essential disaster

service in the community. 

Despite signs of progress and cooperation, our work is far from finished. Disasters are

inevitable and growing in frequency. In the two years since the Commission’s inception, our

Nation has witnessed severe disasters: devastating 100-year floods in the Midwest, a major

earthquake and tsunami in American Samoa, the public health emergency caused by the

H1N1 influenza pandemic, the cataclysmic earthquake in Haiti, and the unprecedented oil

disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. On a smaller but nevertheless important scale, communities

around the Nation face emergencies every day. 

Foreword
Each new disaster presents distinct challenges. However, we can anticipate the needs of

children and, therefore, we can and must prepare to meet those needs. The capability of

systems to meet the needs of children in times of disaster will remain inadequate until we as

a Nation first achieve an optimal level of emergency readiness for children on a daily basis. 

Children represent nearly 25 percent of our population. Consider that on any given

weekday, 67 million children are in schools and child care, a time when children are most

vulnerable because they are away from their families. Yet, only a handful of States require

basic school evacuation and family reunification plans. In addition, just 25 percent of

emergency medical services (EMS) agencies and 6 percent of hospital emergency

departments have the supplies and equipment to treat children. The Strategic National

Stockpile, intended to provide the public with medicine and medical supplies in the event

of a public health emergency, is woefully under-stocked with medical countermeasures for

children.

This already fragile state of readiness deteriorates quickly when disaster strikes. Programs

and practices for managing disasters are fragmented and unaccountable to children; instead

they are designed primarily to help able-bodied adults. Children are categorized as an “atrisk,” “special needs,” or “vulnerable” population, a well-intended consideration that

inadvertently creates a perverse benign neglect of children, in which they receive less

attention in disaster planning and management rather than more. 

We do not suggest that our Nation is completely unprepared for assisting children affected

by disaster. Existing capabilities can and should be built on to integrate children into

preparedness, planning, response, and recovery. In our final analysis, meeting the needs of

children in disaster planning and management is a national responsibility lacking not only

sufficient funding, but also a pervasive concern, a sustained will to act, and a unifying force. 

The Commission respectfully calls on the President to develop and present to Congress a

National Strategy on Children and Disasters. Under the imprimatur of the President, the

strategy would sound an unequivocal call to action for Federal, State, territorial, tribal, and

local levels of government; private sector industry; non-governmental agencies; faith-based

partners; academia; communities; families; and individuals to engage one another around a

cohesive set of meaningful national goals and priorities to remedy the years of benign

neglect of children. 

iv NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
We recognize the unprecedented challenges facing all levels of government and their nongovernmental partners. In these difficult times, however, sufficient attention and resources

must be dedicated to safeguarding our Nation’s 74 million children before, during, and after

disaster, a goal the Commission believes it shares with most Americans. 

We present the 2010 Report to the President and Congress having made a careful,

conscious effort to provide recommendations that are practical and achievable and can

make a lasting difference. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a

challenging and important endeavor. 

Respectfully submitted,

Honorable Mark K. Shriver, MPA

Chairperson

Ernest “Ernie” E. Allen, J.D.

Merry Carlson, MPP

Honorable Sheila Leslie

Bruce A. Lockwood, CEM

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT v

Michael R. Anderson, M.D., FAAP

Vice Chairperson

Graydon “Gregg” Lord, MS, NREMT-P

Irwin Redlener, M.D., FAAP

David J. Schonfeld, M.D., FAAP

Lawrence E. Tan, J.D., NREMT-P

Abbreviations.........................................................................................................................................1

Background............................................................................................................................................5

Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................................7

1. Disaster Management and Recovery..........................................................................................17

2. Mental Health .................................................................................................................................31

3. Child Physical Health and Trauma ............................................................................................45

4. Emergency Medical Services and Pediatric Transport ..........................................................63

5. Disaster Case Management..........................................................................................................73

6. Child Care and Early Education.................................................................................................79

7. Elementary and Secondary Education ......................................................................................89

8. Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice ..........................................................................................101

9. Sheltering Standards, Services, and Supplies.........................................................................111

10. Housing ........................................................................................................................................117

11. Evacuation...................................................................................................................................125

Appendixes.........................................................................................................................................135

Appendix A. Study Approach .....................................................................................................138

Appendix B. Index to Recommendations and Responsible Entities.........................................140

Appendix C. Model Executive Order or Resolution Creating a “Cabinet on Children

and Disasters and Children and Disasters Advisory Council”...................................................158

Appendix D. Children and Disasters: the Role of State and Local Governments in 

Protecting This Vulnerable Population .......................................................................................161

Appendix E. Standards and Indicators for Disaster Shelter Care for Children.........................163

Appendix F. Supplies for Infants and Toddlers in Mass Care Shelters and 

Emergency Congregate Care Facilities.......................................................................................166

Appendix G. Subcommittee Members and Other Contributors................................................172

Appendix H. Stakeholder Outreach ............................................................................................177

Appendix I. Commissioner Biographies.....................................................................................181

Appendix J. Commission and Project Staff................................................................................185 

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT vii

Contents
ACF Administration for Children and Families (HHS)

AHPP Alternative Housing Pilot Program (FEMA)

AHRQ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (HHS)

ALS Advanced Life Support

ANSI American National Standards Institute

ARC American Red Cross

ASPR Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (HHS)

BARDA Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority 

BLS Basic Life Support

CB Children’s Bureau (ACF)

CCB Child Care Bureau (ACF)

CCDBG Child Care and Development Block Grant

CCP Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CFSIA Child and Family Services Improvement Act

CHIP Children’s Health Insurance Program

CIP Court Improvement Program

CMS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

CONOPS Concept of Operations

CPT Current Procedural Terminology

DHS Department of Homeland Security

DMAT Disaster Medical Assistance Team

DoD Department of Defense

DOJ Department of Justice

DOT Department of Transportation

ED Department of Education

ESC Enterprise Senior Council 

EHCY Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program

EMS Emergency medical services

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 1

Abbreviations
EMSC Emergency Medical Services for Children

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

ESF Emergency Support Function

EUA Emergency Use Authorization

FDA Food and Drug Administration

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS)

FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

FETIG Federal Education and Training Interagency Group 

FICEMS Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services

FY Fiscal Year

GAO Government Accountability Office

HERA Hurricane Education Recovery Act

HHS Department of Health and Human Services

HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

HPP Hospital Preparedness Program

HRSA Health Resources and Services Administration (HHS)

HSGP Homeland Security Grant Program

HUD Department of Housing and Urban Development

IAA Interagency agreement

IOM Institute of Medicine

ISP Immediate Services Program

LEA Local Education Agency

MCM Medical countermeasure

NCCD National Commission on Children and Disasters

NCDMPH National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health

NCJFCJ National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

NDHTF National Disaster Housing Task Force

NDMS National Disaster Medical System

NDRF National Disaster Recovery Framework

2 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NHSS National Health Security Strategy

NIH National Institutes of Health (HHS)

NLE National Level Exercise

NMETS National Mass Evacuation Tracking System

NRC National Resource Center (EMSC)

NRF National Response Framework

NVOAD National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

OASIS Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards

OFRD United States Public Health Service Office of Force Readiness 

and Development

OHS Office of Head Start (HHS)

OJJDP Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (DOJ)

PEHSU Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit

PHEMCE Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise

PII Personally identifiable information

PKEMRA Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006

PL Public Law

PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder

QRIS Quality Rating and Improvement Systems

REMS Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools 

RSF Recovery Support Function

RSP Regular Services Program

SAMHSA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (HHS)

SBA Small Business Administration

SEA State Education Agency

SERV School Emergency Response to Violence

SNS Strategic National Stockpile

USTRANSCOM United States Transportation Command (DoD) 

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 3
The National Commission on Children and Disasters (“the Commission”) was established

pursuant to the Kids in Disasters Well-being, Safety, and Health Act of 2007 as provided in

Division G, Title VI of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008.1 The Commission’s

status as an independent Federal Advisory Committee was clarified in Division A, Section

157 (b) of the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act

of 2009.2

The Commission was instructed to conduct a comprehensive study to independently

examine and assess the needs of children (0-18 years of age) in relation to the preparation

for, response to, and recovery from all hazards, including major disasters and emergencies,

by building upon the evaluations of other entities and avoiding unnecessary duplication by

reviewing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of these entities. In addition to

this report, the Commission submitted an Interim Report3 in October 2009. 

The Commission reports specific findings, conclusions, and recommendations relating to: 1)

child physical health, mental health, and trauma; 2) child care in all settings; 3) child

welfare; 4) elementary and secondary education; 5) sheltering, temporary housing, and

affordable housing; 6) transportation; 7) juvenile justice; 8) evacuation; and 9) relevant

activities in emergency management. The Commission also provides specific

recommendations on the need for planning and establishing a national resource center on

children and disasters, and reports on the coordination of resources and services,

administrative actions, policies, regulations, and legislative changes as the Commission

considers appropriate.4

The Commission is bipartisan, consisting of 10 members appointed by President George W.

Bush and Congressional leaders. Commission members represent a variety of disciplines,

including pediatrics, State and local emergency management, emergency medical services,

non-governmental organizations dedicated to children, and State elected office. The

Commission organized four subcommittees comprising Commissioners and Federal and

non-Federal representatives: 1) Education, Child Welfare, and Juvenile Justice; 2)

Evacuation, Transportation, and Housing; 3) Human Services Recovery; and 4) Pediatric

Medical Care. The Commission met publicly on a quarterly basis and subcommittees met

monthly to address their focus areas. 

1 Public Law (P.L.) 110-161 (2008).

2 P.L. 110-329 (2009).

3 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, (Washington, DC: NCCD, October 14, 2009),

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20091014_508IR_partII.pdf.

4 P.L. 110-161 (2008).

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 5

Background
The President and Congress charged the National Commission on Children and Disasters

with carrying out the first-ever comprehensive review of Federal disaster-related laws,

regulations, programs, and policies to assess their responsiveness to the needs of children

and make recommendations to close critical gaps. 

In this Executive Summary, the Commission assembles all the recommendations in this

report. As is customary for a Federal advisory body such as the Commission, the

recommendations are primarily directed toward the President, Federal agencies, and

Congress. However, in order to achieve a coordinated national strategy on children and

disasters at all levels of government—including Federal, State, tribal, territorial, and local—

the Commission urges non-Federal executive and legislative branches of government to

consider and apply the recommendations, as appropriate.

To assist Congress, Federal agencies, and non-Federal partners in quickly identifying

recommendations most relevant to them, the Commission provides an index organized by

the agency, group, or individual charged with implementing the recommendation (see

Appendix B: Index to Recommendations and Responsible Entities).

1. Disaster Management and Recovery

Recommendation 1.1: Distinguish and comprehensively integrate the needs of children

across all inter- and intra-governmental disaster management activities and operations.

- The President should develop a National Strategy for Children and Disasters.

- The Executive Branch, Congress, and non-Federal partners should prioritize children

separately from “at -risk” population categories.

- The Executive Branch at all levels of government should establish and maintain

permanent focal points of coordination for children and disasters, supported by

sufficient authority, funding, and policy expertise. FEMA should establish Children’s

Integration Specialists at the regional level. 

- The Executive Branch and non-Federal partners should incorporate children as a

distinct priority in base disaster planning documents and relevant grant programs. 

- The Executive Branch and non-Federal partners should incorporate education, child

care, juvenile justice, and child welfare systems into disaster planning, training, and

exercises.

- The Executive Branch and non-Federal partners should incorporate children as a

distinct priority in relevant target capabilities, preparedness training, and exercises, with

specific target outcomes and performance measures.

- The Executive Branch and Congress should institute accountability and progress

monitoring measures to track implementation of Commission recommendations and

capability improvements.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 7

Executive Summary
Recommendation 1.2: The President should accelerate the development and

implementation of the National Disaster Recovery Framework with an explicit emphasis

on addressing the immediate and long-term physical and mental health, educational,

housing, and human services recovery needs of children.

Recommendation 1.3: DHS/FEMA should ensure that information required for timely and

effective delivery of recovery services to children and families is collected and shared with

appropriate entities. 

- Government agencies and non-governmental organizations should collect information

on children and families necessary to identify and support their immediate and longterm recovery needs.

- DHS/FEMA should expand information sharing with appropriate government agencies

and non-governmental organizations to enable the delivery of recovery services.

- DHS/FEMA should pre-identify and credential additional local and out-of-State

voluntary and non-governmental organizations and networks that provide disaster

assistance to children and families. 

Recommendation 1.4: DHS/FEMA should establish interagency agreements to provide

disaster preparedness funding, technical assistance, training, and other resources to State

and local child serving systems and child congregate care facilities.

2. Mental Health

Recommendation 2.1: HHS should lead efforts to integrate mental and behavioral health

for children into public health, medical, and other relevant disaster management

activities.

- Congress should direct HHS to lead the development of a disaster mental and

behavioral health Concept of Operations (CONOPS) to formalize disaster mental and

behavioral health as a core component of disaster preparedness, response, and

recovery efforts.

Recommendation 2.2: HHS should enhance the research agenda for children’s disaster

mental and behavioral health, including psychological first aid, cognitive-behavioral

interventions, social support interventions, bereavement counseling and support, and

programs intended to enhance children’s resilience in the aftermath of a disaster.

- HHS should convene a working group of children’s disaster mental health and

pediatric experts to review the research portfolios of relevant agencies, identify gaps in

knowledge, and recommend a national research agenda across the full spectrum of

disaster mental health for children and families.

8 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Recommendation 2.3: Federal agencies and non-Federal partners should enhance predisaster preparedness and just-in-time training in pediatric disaster mental and behavioral

health, including psychological first aid, bereavement support, and brief supportive

interventions, for mental health professionals and individuals, such as teachers, who work

with children.

Recommendation 2.4: DHS/FEMA and SAMHSA should strengthen the Crisis Counseling

Assistance and Training Program (CCP) to better meet the mental health needs of children

and families.

- Simplify the Immediate Services Program (ISP) grant application to minimize the

burden on communities affected by a disaster and facilitate the rapid allocation of

funding and initiation of services.

- Establish the position of Children’s Disaster Mental Health Coordinator within Statelevel CCPs. 

- Formally modify the CCP model to indicate and promote “enhanced services” where

the mental health impact is unlikely to be adequately addressed by “typical” CCP

services.

- Include bereavement support and education within services typically provided under

the CCP.

Recommendation 2.5: Congress should establish a single, flexible grant funding

mechanism to specifically support the delivery of mental health treatment services that

address the full spectrum of behavioral health needs of children including treatment of

disaster-related adjustment difficulties, psychiatric disorders, and substance abuse.

3. Child Physical Health and Trauma

Recommendation 3.1: Congress, HHS, and DHS/FEMA should ensure availability of and

access to pediatric medical countermeasures (MCM) at the Federal, State, and local levels

for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats.

- Provide funding and grant guidance for the development, acquisition, and stockpiling

of MCM specifically for children for inclusion in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)

and all other federally funded caches, including those funded by DHS/FEMA. 

- Amend the Emergency Use Authorization to allow the FDA, at the direction of the HHS

Secretary, to authorize pediatric indications of MCM for emergency use before an

emergency is known or imminent. 

- Form a standing advisory body of Federal partners and external experts to advise the

HHS Secretary and provide expert consensus on issues pertaining specifically to

pediatric emergency MCM. 

- Within the HHS Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, designate

a pediatric leader and establish a pediatric and obstetric working group to conduct gap

analyses and make research recommendations.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 9
- Include pediatric expertise on the HHS Enterprise Governance Board or its successor

and all relevant committees and working groups addressing issues pertaining to MCM.

- Establish a partnership between the proposed MCM Development Leader and key

pediatric stakeholders both within and outside government.

Recommendation 3.2: HHS and DoD should enhance the pediatric capabilities of their

disaster medical response teams through the integration of pediatric-specific training,

guidance, exercises, supplies, and personnel.

- HHS should develop pediatric capabilities within each National Disaster Medical

System (NDMS) region.

- HHS should establish a “reserve pool” of pediatric health care workers to assist in

NDMS disaster response. 

- HHS and DoD should establish a Pediatric Health Care Coordinator on each disaster

medical response team and develop strategies to recruit and retain team members with

pediatric medical expertise.

Recommendation 3.3: HHS should ensure that health professionals who may treat

children during a disaster have adequate pediatric disaster clinical training.

- The President should direct the Federal Education and Training Interagency Group for

Public Health and Medical Disaster Preparedness and Response (FETIG) to prioritize

the development of pediatric core competencies, core curricula, training, and research.

- The FETIG should support the formation of a Pediatric Disaster Clinical Education and

Training Working Group to establish core clinical competencies and a standard,

modular pediatric disaster health care education and training curriculum.

Recommendation 3.4: The Executive Branch and Congress should provide resources for a

formal regionalized pediatric system of care to support pediatric surge capacity during

and after disasters.

- HHS should include pediatric surge capacity as a “Required Funding Capability” in the

Hospital Preparedness Program.

- States and hospital accrediting bodies should ensure all hospital emergency

departments stand ready to care for ill or injured children through the adoption of

emergency preparedness guidelines jointly developed by the American Academy of

Pediatrics, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Emergency Nurses

Association.

Recommendation 3.5: Prioritize the recovery of pediatric health and mental health care

delivery systems in disaster-affected areas.

- Congress should establish sufficient funding mechanisms to support restoration and

continuity of for-profit and non-profit health and mental health services to children. 

10 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
- The Executive Branch should recognize and support pediatric health and mental health

care delivery systems as a planning imperative in the development and implementation

of the National Health Security Strategy and National Disaster Recovery Framework.

- HHS should create Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program incentive

payments for providers in disaster areas. 

- The American Medical Association should adopt a new code or code modifier to the

Current Procedural Terminology to reflect disaster medical care in order to facilitate

tracking of these services and as a means for enhanced reimbursement from public and

private payers.

Recommendation 3.6: EPA should engage State and local health officials and nongovernmental experts to develop and promote national guidance and best practices on

re-occupancy of homes, schools, child care, and other child congregate care facilities in

disaster-impacted areas.

- EPA and HHS should expand research on pediatric environmental health risks

associated with disasters.

4. Emergency Medical Services and Pediatric Transport

Recommendation 4.1: The President and Congress should clearly designate and

appropriately resource a lead Federal agency for emergency medical services (EMS) with

primary responsibility for the coordination of grant programs, research, policy, and

standards development and implementation.

- Establish a dedicated Federal grant program under a designated lead Federal agency for

pre-hospital EMS disaster preparedness, including pediatric equipment and training.

Recommendation 4.2: Improve the capability of emergency medical services (EMS) to

transport pediatric patients and provide comprehensive pre-hospital pediatric care during

daily operations and disasters.

- Congress should provide full funding to the Emergency Medical Services for Children

(EMSC) program to ensure all States and territories meet targets and achieve progress

in the EMSC performance measures for grantees, and to support development of a

research portfolio.

- As an eligibility guideline for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reimbursement,

require first response and emergency medical response vehicles to acquire and

maintain pediatric equipment and supplies in accordance with the national guidelines

for equipment for Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support vehicles. 

- HHS and DHS should establish stronger pediatric EMS performance measures within

relevant Federal emergency preparedness grant programs.

- HHS should address the findings of the EMSC 2009 Gap Analysis of EMS Related

Research.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 11
Recommendation 4.3: HHS should develop a national strategy to improve Federal

pediatric emergency transport and patient care capabilities for disasters.

- Conduct a national review of existing capabilities among relevant government agencies

and the private sector for emergency medical transport of children.

5. Disaster Case Management

Recommendation 5.1: Disaster case management programs should be appropriately

resourced and should provide consistent holistic services that achieve tangible, positive

outcomes for children and families affected by the disaster.

- The Executive Branch and Congress should provide sufficient funds to build, support,

and deploy a disaster case management system with nationwide capacity.

- DHS/FEMA should clarify the transition from Federal to State-led disaster case

management programs.

- Government agencies and non-governmental organizations should develop voluntary

consensus standards on the essential elements and methods of disaster case

management, including pre-credentialing of case managers and training that includes

focused attention to the needs of children and families.

6. Child Care and Early Education

Recommendation 6.1: Congress and HHS should improve disaster preparedness

capabilities for child care.

- Congress and HHS should require States to include disaster planning, training, and

exercise requirements within the scope of their minimum health and safety standards

for child care licensure or registration. 

- Congress should provide HHS the authority to require States to develop statewide

child care disaster plans in coordination with State and local emergency managers,

public health, State child care administrators and regulatory agencies, and child care

resource and referral agencies.

Recommendation 6.2: Congress and Federal agencies should improve capacity to provide

child care services in the immediate aftermath of and recovery from a disaster. 

- DHS/FEMA should revise its Public Assistance regulations to codify child care as an

essential service. 

- Congress should codify child care as an “essential service of a governmental nature” in

the Stafford Act. 

- Federal agencies should incorporate child care as an essential service in the National

Response Framework, the National Disaster Recovery Framework, the National

Disaster Housing Concept of Operations, and Disaster Housing Practitioners’ Guide.

12 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
- Congress should authorize a grant funding mechanism, such as an emergency

contingency fund, to repair or rebuild private, for-profit child care facilities, support the

establishment of temporary child care, and reimburse States for subsidizing child care

services to disaster-affected families.

Recommendation 6.3: HHS should require disaster preparedness capabilities for Head

Start Centers and basic disaster mental health training for staff.

7. Elementary and Secondary Education

Recommendation 7.1: Congress and Federal agencies should improve the preparedness of

schools and school districts by providing additional support to States.

- Congress and ED should award disaster preparedness grants to State education

agencies to oversee, coordinate, and improve disaster planning, training, and exercises

statewide and ensure that all districts within the State meet certain baseline criteria. 

- DHS/FEMA should partner with ED to provide funding and other resources to support

disaster preparedness efforts of State and local education agencies, including

collaborative planning, training, and exercises with emergency management officials. 

Recommendation 7.2: Congress and ED should enhance the ability of school personnel to

support children who are traumatized, grieving, or otherwise recovering from a disaster.

- Congress and ED should award funds to States to implement and evaluate training and

professional development programs in basic skills in providing support to grieving

students and students in crisis, and establish statewide requirements related to teacher

certification and recertification.

Recommendation 7.3: Ensure that school systems recovering from disasters are provided

immediate resources to reopen and restore the learning environment in a timely manner

and provide support for displaced students and their host schools. 

- Congress should create a permanent funding mechanism to support recovery for

schools and students. 

- Congress should establish an emergency contingency fund within the Education for

Homeless Children and Youth program and expeditiously provide grants to school

districts serving an influx of displaced children.

- Congress and ED should support the immediate provision of expert technical assistance

and consultation regarding services and interventions to address disaster mental health

needs of students and school personnel.

- DHS/FEMA, ED, and other Federal agencies should clarify, consolidate, and publicize

information related to the recovery programs, assistance, and services (e.g.,

transportation to schools) currently available to school systems through the Stafford Act

and other Federal sources.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 13
8. Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

Recommendation 8.1: Ensure that State and local child welfare agencies adequately

prepare for disasters.

- Congress should request a national assessment of child welfare disaster planning to

determine if significant advances have been made since passage of the Child and

Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 (CFSIA).

- HHS should develop detailed disaster planning criteria by regulation or other formal

policy guidance to supplement the basic procedures mandated in CFSIA.

- Within each ACF regional office, child welfare staff and the region’s emergency

management specialist should collaboratively review and evaluate the State child

welfare disaster plans required by CFSIA and assist States in developing comprehensive

plans and meeting their statutory obligations.

- DHS/FEMA and HHS should provide funding, guidance, and technical assistance to

child welfare agencies and encourage collaboration with emergency management,

courts, and other key stakeholders.

Recommendation 8.2: Ensure that State and local juvenile justice agencies and all

residential treatment, correctional, and detention facilities that house children adequately

prepare for disasters.

- Congress should require State and local juvenile justice agencies and all residential

treatment, correctional, and detention facilities that house children to have

comprehensive disaster plans in place.

- DHS/FEMA and DOJ should support disaster planning for State and local juvenile

justice agencies and residential treatment, correctional, and detention facilities that

house children by providing funding, technical assistance, and training.

Recommendation 8.3: HHS and DOJ should ensure that juvenile, dependency, and other

courts hearing matters involving children adequately prepare for disasters.

- HHS should include disaster preparedness as a component of the Court Improvement

Program for dependency courts. 

- DOJ should include disaster preparedness as a component of the proposed National

Juvenile Delinquency Court Improvement Program. 

- DOJ and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges should incorporate

disaster preparedness into the Model Courts program. 

14 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
9. Sheltering Standards, Services, and Supplies

Recommendation 9.1: Government agencies and non-governmental organizations should

provide a safe and secure mass care shelter environment for children, including access to

essential services and supplies.

- Implement national standards and indicators for mass care shelters that are specific

and responsive to children.

- Integrate essential age-appropriate shelter supplies for infants and children into shelter

planning and fund the addition of child-specific supplies to caches for immediate

deployment to support shelter operations.

- Implement common standards and training, including standards for criminal

background checks, to mitigate risks unique to children in shelters such as child

abduction and sex offenders.

10. Housing

Recommendation 10.1: Prioritize the needs of families with children, especially families

with children who have disabilities or chronic health, mental health, or educational needs,

within disaster housing assistance programs.

- Government agencies and non-governmental organizations should ensure that families

with children in disaster housing, especially community sites, have access to needed

services and are provided safe and healthy living environments. 

- Congress should authorize DHS/FEMA to reimburse State and local governments for

providing wrap-around services to children and families in community sites.

- DHS/FEMA should develop clear written guidance around emergency transportation

planning and reimbursement for State and local governments that addresses the

recovery needs of children and families.

- Government agencies and non-governmental organizations should identify and

promote innovative programs to expedite the transition into permanent housing for

families with children.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 15
11. Evacuation

Recommendation 11.1: Congress and Federal agencies should provide sufficient funding to

develop and deploy a national information sharing capability to quickly and effectively

reunite displaced children with their families, guardians, and caregivers when separated

by a disaster.

- DHS should lead the development of a nationwide information technology capability

to collect, share, and search data from any patient and evacuee tracking or family

reunification system.

- DHS should support the development of voluntary consensus-driven standards for data

collection and data sharing through a joint Federal, non-Federal, and private sector

process. 

- Government agencies should ensure the collection of appropriate data on evacuated

children, particularly unaccompanied minors.

Recommendation 11.2: Disaster plans at all levels of government must specifically address

the evacuation and transportation needs of children with disabilities and chronic health

needs, in coordination with child congregate care facilities such as schools, child care, and

health care facilities.

16 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
1. Disaster Management and Recovery

Recommendation 1.1: Distinguish and comprehensively integrate the needs of children

across all inter- and intra-governmental disaster management activities and operations.

Recommendation 1.2: The President should accelerate the development and

implementation of the National Disaster Recovery Framework with an explicit

emphasis on addressing the immediate and long-term physical and mental health,

educational, housing, and human services recovery needs of children.

Recommendation 1.3: DHS/FEMA should ensure that information required for timely

and effective delivery of recovery services to children and families is collected and

shared with appropriate entities. 

Recommendation 1.4: DHS/FEMA should establish interagency agreements to provide

disaster preparedness funding, technical assistance, training, and other resources to

State and local child serving systems and child congregate care facilities.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 19

Recommendation 1.1: Distinguish and comprehensively integrate the needs of children 

across all inter- and intra-governmental disaster management activities and operations.

- The President should develop a National Strategy for Children and Disasters.

- The Executive Branch, Congress, and non-Federal partners should prioritize children

separately from “at -risk” population categories.

- The Executive Branch at all levels of government should establish and maintain

permanent focal points of coordination for children and disasters, supported by

sufficient authority, funding, and policy expertise. FEMA should establish Children’s

Integration Specialists at the regional level. 

- The Executive Branch and non-Federal partners should incorporate children as a

distinct priority in base disaster planning documents and relevant grant programs. 

- The Executive Branch and non-Federal partners should incorporate education, child

care, juvenile justice, and child welfare systems into disaster planning, training, and

exercises.

- The Executive Branch and non-Federal partners should incorporate children as a

distinct priority in relevant target capabilities, preparedness training, and exercises, 

with specific target outcomes and performance measures.

- The Executive Branch and Congress should institute accountability and progress

monitoring measures to track implementation of Commission recommendations and

capability improvements. 

Children under the age of 18 comprise nearly 25 percent of the U. S. population, or 74

million Americans.5,6 Given the significant number of children in our Nation, the

Commission recommends that the unique needs of children must be more thoroughly

integrated into planning and made a clear and distinct priority in all disaster management

activities. 

The Nation’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disaster—especially in

regard to children⎯can neither depend on a single level or agency of government, nor be

approached on a piecemeal basis. Disaster management is a shared responsibility, based on

each team member doing what it does best and leveraging the expertise and strengths of

others. Capabilities, policies, and programs currently are fragmented and need clearly stated

desired outcomes, priorities, and resources for children, across and among all levels of

government. 

5 U.S. Census Bureau, “USA QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau,” 

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html. 

6 U.S. Census Bureau, “Interim State Population Projections, 2005,” 

http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/files/PressTab5.xls.

1. Disaster Management and Recovery
The lack of clear priorities and sufficient resources for children and families in times of

disaster primarily is related to the lack of a national strategy. In the May 2010 Progress

Report on Children and Disasters, the Commission, while recognizing marginal pockets of

improvement, called for the President to develop, in coordination with Federal and nonFederal stakeholders, a National Strategy for Children and Disasters.7 This strategy would

provide a platform for the development of short- and long-term goals, objectives, and

capabilities to more cohesively address gaps in disaster preparedness, response, and

recovery for children. The Commission stands by its previous recommendation that the

Administration must provide leadership and a charge of urgency and innovation to move

the Nation forward in addressing the critical needs of children in disasters. 

Children’s Unique Needs in Disasters

Children are not simply small adults. Throughout this report, the Commission notes 

children’s unique vulnerabilities in disasters that must be addressed in disaster 

management activities and policies. For example:

• Children may experience long-lasting effects such as academic failure, post-traumatic

stress disorder, depression, anxiety, bereavement, and other behavioral problems such

as delinquency and substance abuse. 

• Children are more susceptible to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear

threats and require different medications, dosages, and delivery systems than adults. 

• During disasters, young children may not be able escape danger, identify themselves,

and make critical decisions. 

• Children are dependent on adults for care, shelter, transportation, and protection 

from predators. 

• Children are often away from parents, in the care of schools, child care providers,

Head Start or other child congregate care environments, which must be prepared to

ensure children’s safety.

• Children must be expeditiously reunified with their legal guardians if separated from

them during a disaster. 

• Children in disaster shelters require age-appropriate supplies such as diapers, cribs,

baby formula, and food.

7 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Progress Report on Children and Disasters: U.S. Agencies

Take Modest Steps to Achieve Commission Goals,” (Washington, DC: NCCD, May 11, 2010), 2,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100511_NCCD_Progress_Report_FINAL.pdf.

20 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 21

A major impediment to the prioritization of children lies in the inclusion of children as a

group within population categories labeled “at-risk,” “vulnerable,” or “special needs.” The

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recognizes children as “at-risk” along

with 10 other populations.8 While well intentioned, the advent of these categories has

resulted in diluting, rather than concentrating, a specific and necessary focus on children,

and has led to plans in which children are addressed in annexes, if at all.

The Commission recommends that the Executive Branch, Congress, and non-Federal

partners reconsider laws and policies, such as the 2006 Pandemic and All-Hazards

Preparedness Act,9 that group children into broad “at-risk” population categories. Children

typically have unique needs in all types of emergencies and disasters, and many of these

needs can be anticipated; thus, disaster management agencies should place a specific and

sustained focus on children in their daily and disaster response activities. For example,

when children were disproportionately affected by the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognized the need to treat children as a distinct

part of the general population and in response created a Children’s Health Team with

representation in the CDC’s Emergency Operations Center. The team was instrumental in

bringing attention to the needs of children and the necessity for offering national-level

guidance to families, schools, and child care providers concerning personal precautions,

the H1N1 vaccine, and school closures. Organizations with similar experiences during

their disaster relief efforts, such as the American Red Cross, agree that children need to be

considered as a distinct population in disaster planning, rather than as part of a larger “atrisk” or “special needs” categories.10

The Commission recommended in its Interim Report that the White House assume “a

central leadership and coordinating role” to advise the President, the Executive Branch, and

non-Federal partners on the need to make children a disaster planning imperative and to

foster integration of children across national security and domestic policy-making

priorities.11 The Commission recommends that the President implement this

recommendation, with a corollary that the President also create a permanent focal point of

responsibility and accountability for coordinating children’s disaster needs across the

Federal Government and with non-Federal officials. At the regional level, the Federal

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should establish Children’s Integration Specialists,

who can coordinate with other Federal regional staff, such as the HHS Administration for

Children and Families, and with state and local partners. Similarly, State and local

governments could assign the duty of intra- and inter-agency coordination of children’s

disaster needs to the immediate office of the executive, for example led by a cabinet

member from the public health office, social services department, or emergency

preparedness agency. 

8 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, “At Risk Individuals, Behavioral Health, and 

Human Services Coordination,” http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/abc/Pages/default.aspx. 

9 Public Law (P.L.) 109-417 (2006).

10 Trevor Riggen, American Red Cross, Testimony of Trevor Riggen before the U.S. House of Representatives, 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings 

and Emergency Management, Washington, DC, October 20, 2009, 2, 

http://transportation.house.gov/Media/file/Economic%20Development/20091020/Riggen%20Testimony.pdf.

11 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, (Washington, DC: NCCD, October 14, 2009),

3, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20091014_508IR_partII.pdf.
The Commission also recommends that Executive branch leaders at all levels of government

create a centralized focal point to identify and fix gaps in disaster policies and programs for

children and families (see Appendix C: Model Executive Order or Resolution Creating a

“Cabinet on Children and Disasters and Children and Disasters Advisory Council”).

Relevant government agencies also may create such a mechanism. In August 2009, FEMA

formed a Children’s Working Group to “create a lasting, positive change, at every level of

government” by ensuring that the needs of children are incorporated into all disaster

preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. The Working Group reports to the FEMA

Administrator and a counselor to the Homeland Security Secretary and is composed of

representatives from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA, including the

Office of the Administrator, key Program Directorates, the Regional Operations Office,

Specialty Areas, and Supporting Offices, as well as subject matter experts and FEMA staff

who participate on Commission subcommittees.12 In addition, the Working Group is

assisting in the development of disaster planning activities for children with partner

agencies, specifically HHS, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of

Education (ED), and with non-governmental partners. 

In March 2010, HHS also formed a Children’s Working Group co-chaired by the Assistant

Secretary for Preparedness and Response and the Assistant Secretary for Administration of

Children and Families. HHS’ working group will assess current capabilities to address

children in disaster planning activities and seek to facilitate coordination across the agency.

To expedite progress, the Commission urges the HHS working group to synchronize priority

areas with critical gaps the Commission has identified, such as coordinated disaster

planning for children, development of pediatric medical countermeasures, and delivery of

disaster mental and behavioral health services to children. 

The creation of advisory bodies is an important means to place a focus on children and

families; however, these entities are currently ad hoc in nature and may be eliminated

following a change in Administration. Therefore, the Commission urges these advisory

bodies be permanently established by statute and replicated across Federal and non-Federal

agencies, reporting directly to top-level leadership, with sufficient authority, funding,

staffing, and policy expertise to effectively expedite the implementation of the Commission’s

recommendations and other related activities.

The Commission also recommended that the Executive Branch and non-Federal partners

incorporate children as a distinct priority throughout base disaster planning documents and

relevant grant programs. In response to these recommendations, Administrator Fugate

directed FEMA staff to review base planning guidance and work to ensure that the needs of 

12 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Meeting Minutes of the November 10, 2009 Public

Meeting,” (Washington, DC: NCCD, November 10, 2009), 2,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/minutes/20091110_MinutesV02.pdf.

22 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
children are a core consideration in disaster planning.13 Also, the FEMA Children’s Working

Group is collaborating with the agency’s National Preparedness Directorate to incorporate

children’s needs into FEMA’s disaster planning documents, including the Comprehensive

Planning Guide 101 and the National Response Framework.14

Making children a priority will have important implications at all levels of government for

training, equipment, supplies, and exercises, since priorities drive investment and resource

allocation decisions. Not enough attention has been paid nor resources devoted to

improving Federal and especially non-Federal disaster capabilities for children. The bedrock

of the Nation’s disaster planning and management system lies at the State and local levels.

First responders to any disaster are not likely to be FEMA, HHS, or other Federal entities. If

requested at all, Federal support may not arrive for several hours or days after the disaster. 

States and localities supported by Federal emergency preparedness grants should develop

disaster capabilities that meet the needs of children. However, a disproportionately small

amount of the total Federal funds appropriated for State and local disaster management is

specifically allocated to support development of capabilities to assist children. DHS worked

closely with the Commission to develop and release a Supplemental Resource regarding

children in disasters within its FY 2010 Homeland Security Grant Program guidance.15 The

guidance provides States with specific examples of eligible uses of funding to benefit

children, such as supplies, planning, and training; however, the guidance does not require

States to expend grant funds to address the needs of children. 

The Commission recommends that specific emergency preparedness capabilities for

children be developed and integrated into existing capabilities that are supported by Federal

emergency preparedness grants. States and jurisdictions would then have greater means to

develop disaster capabilities that meet the needs of children. Grantees should assess their

performance in meeting the needs of children during exercises and drills, and include

performance evaluations in their After Action Reports and improvement and corrective

action plans. Based on briefings with national organizations representing State and local

governments and knowledge derived from field visits, the Commission developed a list of

basic disaster capabilities for consideration by elected officials and emergency managers

(Appendix D).

The Commission also recommends that congregate care settings, such as schools, child

care, juvenile justice, and child welfare facilities, along with local child serving agencies be

included in planning, training, and exercises. Likewise, State child serving government

agencies should be incorporated into State-level efforts. The Government Accountability 

13 Craig Fugate, Testimony of Craig Fugate before the U.S. Senate, Committee on Homeland Security and

Governmental Affairs, Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, Washington, DC, December 10, 2009, 3,

http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=bba3b475-bd7e-4138-9cdf3ed88c17f73e.

14 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Meeting Minutes of the November 10, 2009 Public

Meeting,” 2.

15 Department of Homeland Security, Fiscal Year 2010 Homeland Security Grant Program Supplemental

Resource: Children in Disasters Guidance, (Washington, DC: DHS, June 2009), 1,

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/government/grant/2010/fy10_hsgp_children.pdf.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 23
Office (GAO) asserted that children would be better protected if State and local disaster

plans incorporated child welfare, education, and other agencies that serve children.16 The

Commission believes that integrating these State and local agencies and facilities in State

and local planning efforts is essential to ensure that States and communities are prepared to

address the needs of children. 

The Commission recommended in its Interim Report that children’s needs be addressed in

relevant target capabilities, preparedness training, and exercises, with specific target

outcomes and performance measures.17 FEMA intends to integrate children’s issues into the

2011 National Level Exercise (NLE).18 The concept for the NLE is a major earthquake within

the New Madrid seismic zone impacting eight Midwest States.19 Among the overarching

exercise objectives are evacuation and shelter-in-place, mass care (sheltering, feeding, and

related services), medical surge, and long-term recovery.20 Since no single jurisdiction or

response discipline will be capable of handling an event of this magnitude, the Commission

recommends that the NLE test the capabilities of cooperative efforts among jurisdictions and

pre-event mutual aid agreements to address children’s needs, especially in the context of

additional health and mental health care for children and evacuation of unaccompanied

children across State lines. The earthquake in Haiti demonstrated the need to ensure

capabilities around quickly reuniting unaccompanied children with their families and

accommodating a potential surge of orphans resulting from a mass casualty event.21

Echoing earlier concerns regarding serious gaps in preparedness, the Commission also

recommends that exercises test capabilities and training around more common and realistic

events faced by State and local responders, rather than just catastrophic events. 

Finally, in order to institute accountability and track national progress toward

implementation of the Commission’s recommendations and the improvement of capabilities

for children, Congress should require the Administration to prepare and submit an annual

report on children and disasters to appropriate Congressional committees. Additionally, the

Commission recommends that the Executive Branch require relevant agencies to

incorporate measurable goals into their multi-year strategic plans and an evaluation

framework to monitor performance and impact of investments related to children and

disasters, particularly with regard to grant programs. 

16 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Lessons Learned for Protecting and Educating

Children, GAO-06-680R, (Washington, DC: GAO, 2006), 2, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06680r.pdf. 

17 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, 3.

18 Federal Emergency Management Agency, “FEMA National Advisory Council Meeting,” (Washington, DC:

DHS, February 10, 2010), 5, http://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/nac/feb10_11_exec.pdf. 

19 Craig Fugate, Statement of Craig Fugate before the U.S. House of Representatives, House Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee of Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency

Management, “Post Katrina – What It Takes to Cut Bureaucracy and Assure a More Rapid Response After a

Catastrophic Disaster,” Washington, DC, July 27, 2009, 6,

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/testimony/072709_fugate.pdf.

20 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, "TE&LL Calendar of Events," Training,

Exercises and Lessons Learned Newsletter, August 2010, 1-6.

21 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Summary Report: Field Visit, Miami, Florida,” (Washington,

DC; NCCD, 2010), 2, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/Summary_FLFieldVisit_FINAL.pdf.

24 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 25

Recommendation 1.2: The President should accelerate the development and 

implementation of the National Disaster Recovery Framework with an explicit emphasis 

on addressing the immediate and long-term physical and mental health, educational, 

housing, and human services recovery needs of children. 

As supported by the findings of a 2009 GAO report on recovery efforts following Hurricane

Katrina,22 key to any recovery effort is the prompt restoration of critical services for children

and families, including housing, health and mental health, education, child care and

nutrition services, and safe recreation areas, which are discussed in greater detail later in

this report. In the Interim Report, the Commission recommended the prompt development

of a National Disaster Recovery Strategy that specifically addresses the needs of children in

long-term recovery from disasters. 

The Commission’s field visit to Iowa, to gather findings and lessons learned from the longterm recovery efforts of Iowa’s 2008 floods and tornados, also underscored the need for

improved long-term recovery planning. In particular, it was clear to the Commission that

the recovery efforts in Iowa were hindered by the absence of a pre-existing national, State,

or local long-term disaster recovery plan. Other key findings from the field visit included

the critical need for a central point of coordination at the Federal and non-Federal level for

recovery programs and services, specifically for children and families, and the pressing

need for Federal disaster assistance programs designed to support long-term recovery of

children and families. 

The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 200623 requires the development of

a “National Disaster Recovery Strategy”24 to coordinate long-term recovery resources

following major disasters. This strategy document, now named the National Disaster

Recovery Framework (NDRF), is designed to be a companion document to the National

Response Framework. The Commission and Congress have urged the Administration to

accelerate the development of this document. A Long-Term Disaster Recovery Working

Group was formed in 2009, and a first draft of the NDRF was released on February 5,

2010.25

22 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Disaster Assistance: Greater Coordination and an Evaluation of

Programs' Outcomes Could Improve Disaster Case Management, GAO-09-561, (Washington, DC: GAO, 2009),

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09561.pdf.

23 P.L. 109-295; 120 Stat. 1394 (2006).

24 This document and any subsequent guidance and tools are part of the developing National Disaster Recovery

Strategy. Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Disaster Recovery Framework: Draft, ed. U.S.

Department of Homeland Security (Washington, DC: DHS, February 5, 2010), 4,

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/recoveryframework/omb_ndrf.pdf. 

25 Federal Emergency Management Agency, “FEMA Releases Draft National Disaster Recovery Framework, Press

Release No. HQ 10-012,” http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=50366. 
The Commission provided comments on the draft, based in part on its findings from the

Iowa field visit and a field visit in Louisiana in January 2009.26 Among other suggestions,

the Commission cited a need for: 1) the appointment of a Federal Disaster Recovery

Coordinator who reports directly to the President; 2) an office residing in the White House

or a Federal agency to help build recovery capacity across the country; 3) the incorporation

of school and child care recovery as a major theme and element in the framework; and 4)

leadership and operational guidance on how States and communities can reestablish forprofit and nonprofit health care practices. In addition, the Commission commented that the

NDRF should recognize the need for Federal agencies to: proactively educate States about

available resources; assist in holistic long-term needs assessments for children and families;

reduce the burden of paperwork; create greater flexibility in grant guidance,

reimbursements, and regulations; and help identify ways to address unmet needs in States

and localities.

In addition, the Working Group intends to develop an NDRF Annex with Recovery Support

Functions (RSFs),27 which are critical to specifying the roles and responsibilities of Federal

and non-Federal partners and fostering new interagency collaborations. The Commission

urges that the RSFs be developed in collaboration with State, tribal, and local jurisdictions,

especially those with recent long-term recovery experiences and lessons learned. These

jurisdictions will inform Federal agencies where there are significant gaps in funding,

resources, and coordination that require new capabilities and capacities at the Federal

level. Also, States and localities may have recovery planning models and best practices that

could be shared nationally throughout this effort. For example, Iowa established a Rebuild

Iowa Office to coordinate State-wide disaster recovery efforts and provide a centralized

entity to address issues such as housing, public health and health care, infrastructure,

economic and workforce development, education, and hazard mitigation.28

The NDRF and a report to the President were scheduled to be delivered by June 1, 2010. At

the time of this report’s publication, finalization of the documents is on hold due to Federal

response and recovery efforts following the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The

Commission urges the Administration and Congress to move swiftly to provide necessary

additional authority and funding to undertake new recovery responsibilities, particularly as

they relate to children and families. The Commission also recommends that the

Administration and Congress ensure that disaster recovery assistance programs for children

and families are more responsive to the needs identified by States and communities who

will receive the assistance. 

26 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Comments: National Disaster Recovery Framework,”

(Washington, DC: NCCD, February 26, 2010), 1-5,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100224_NCCD_NDRFCommentsV04FINAL.pdf.

27 Similar to Emergency Support Functions in the NRF, RSFs would outline categories of governmental and nongovernmental recovery resources and provide strategic objectives for their use.

28 Rebuild Iowa Office, “Welcome to the Rebuild Iowa Office Web site,” http://www.rio.iowa.gov/.

26 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 27

Recommendation 1.3: DHS/FEMA should ensure that information required for timely 

and effective delivery of recovery services to children and families is collected and 

shared with appropriate entities. 

- Government agencies and non-governmental organizations should collect information

on children and families necessary to identify and support their immediate and longterm recovery needs.

- DHS/FEMA should expand information sharing with appropriate government agencies

and non-governmental organizations to enable the delivery of recovery services.

- DHS/FEMA should pre-identify and credential additional local and out-of-State

voluntary and non-governmental organizations and networks that provide disaster

assistance to children and families. 

A major barrier to the timely and adequate provision of services for children and families

after a disaster is the limited collection and sharing of information on disaster survivors

among government agencies and organizations providing disaster relief and service

delivery. The Children’s Health Fund, in its report on disaster case management following

the Gulf Coast hurricanes, reported that FEMA’s inability to share client-level data, based

upon regulations and policies derived from FEMA’s interpretation of the Privacy Act,29

resulted in information being given to HHS for case management work that was insufficient

for providing health and human services to individuals and families.30 More recently, during

its January 2010 Iowa field visit, the Commission learned of instances where insufficient or

uncoordinated sharing of information impeded the delivery of services to children and

families. For example, following the spring 2008 floods in Iowa, the administrator of the

State-level Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) was denied basic

information from FEMA, including the addresses of affected homes, despite CCP being a

FEMA-funded program. According to the administrator, outreach efforts would have been

much more efficient had they been given access to this information.31 Iowa officials also

indicated that the inability to share information between the various agencies and

organizations providing case management services presented difficulties for both case

managers and clients.32

Information collection and sharing can: 1) provide more complete identification of the

unique needs of children and families; 2) create a more accurate composite picture of the

needs of children and families within the communities affected by the disaster; and 3)

ensure that children and families are offered and provided continuous services during the

entire recovery process. 

29 P.L. 93-579; 5 U.S.C. § 552a (1974).

30 Children’s Health Fund, Reforming Disaster Case Management: National Lessons from Louisiana, (New York,

NY: CHF, December 2009), 15,

http://www.childrenshealthfund.org/sites/default/files/Disaster%20Case%20Management%20Roundtable%20Repor

t%20and%20Recommendations_Finaldraft.pdf.

31 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Minutes: Field Visit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” (Washington, DC:

NCCD, 2010), 3-4, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100106_IowaFieldVisit_MinutesV03FINAL.pdf. 

32 Ibid., 20-21. 
For the purpose of providing more comprehensive data on children to FEMA and its Federal

and non-Federal partners, the Commission recommends that FEMA collect information, in

the disaster recovery assistance intake process, identifying the ages of children in an

applicant’s household and any health, mental health, physical, nutritional, and educational

needs. In the current process, FEMA collects information for the purpose of determining

eligibility for FEMA-specific assistance. FEMA does not request specific information on

children and only requires the applicant to indicate the number and type of dependents in

the applicant’s household. 

The Commission also recommends that FEMA pre-identify and credential additional local

and out-of-State voluntary and non-governmental organizations and networks that provide

disaster assistance to children and families to enable the organizations to obtain access to

the information they need to provide recovery assistance.33 FEMA had, until recently, shared

limited information with specific voluntary and non-governmental organizations for the

purpose of preventing the duplication of monetary benefits to survivors. FEMA modified its

information sharing policies and procedures to enable sharing of information with

government agencies and members of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in

Disaster (NVOAD) or members of FEMA or State-recognized Long Term Recovery

Committees.34 Other local and out-of-State voluntary and non-governmental organizations

would benefit from access to information that helps them identify survivors in need. 

Although FEMA often plays a key role in information collection and sharing, in many cases,

FEMA will not have information on survivor children and families for weeks or months after

a disaster.35 Therefore, the collection and dissemination of data among State, tribal, local,

and non-governmental agencies is also critical since the initial response in any event will be

handled by local and State agencies. 

Finally, the Commission determined that, in some instances, schools can be a useful source

for providing immediate information on children and families following a disaster. Upon

request of the Commission, ED clarified earlier information-sharing guidance to schools

under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act36 that was issued in response to

questions surrounding the H1N1 influenza pandemic. The updated guidance37 assists school

officials in determining what information may be shared and with whom in response to

natural and man-made disasters.

33 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Progress Report on Children and Disasters: U.S. Agencies

Take Modest Steps to Achieve Commission Goals,” 3-4.

34 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Meeting Minutes of the Human Services Recovery

Subcommittee,” (Washington, DC: NCCD, March 23, 2010), 2,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/NCCD%20Subcommittees/20100322_HSRSubcommitteeReport.pdf. 

35 Individuals are given 60 days to register for assistance from FEMA following a disaster. Ibid., 2. 

36 20 U.S.C. § 1232g (1974). 

37 U.S. Department of Education, “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Disclosure of

Student Information Related to Emergencies and Disasters,”

(Washington, DC: ED, June 2010), http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/pdf/ferpa-disaster-guidance.pdf.

28 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 29

The Commission recognizes that the privacy of children and families’ personal information

must be protected when personally identifiable information is being collected and released

to agencies and organizations delivering recovery services in the aftermath of a disaster. The

Commission urges Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies to be cognizant of privacy laws

and relevant disaster and emergency waivers, and to have pre-disaster information-sharing

agreements and policies in place. 

Recommendation 1.4: DHS/FEMA should establish interagency agreements to provide 

disaster preparedness funding, technical assistance, training, and other resources to 

State and local child serving systems and child congregate care facilities. 

State and local child serving systems and child congregate care facilities must be adequately

prepared to protect children in disasters. Children spend a significant amount of time under

the care or custody of these various systems and facilities, which include schools,38 child

care and early education,39 child welfare, and juvenile justice.40 However, as identified in

other chapters of this report, gaps in disaster preparedness are prevalent in these settings. 

Federal agencies such as the DOJ Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

(OJJDP), ED, and the Administration of Children and Families’ Child Care Bureau (CCB) and

Children’s Bureau (CB) provide some assistance to support the disaster preparedness efforts

of their State and local partners. However, these Federal agencies lack the funds and

disaster planning expertise to substantially support the disaster preparedness efforts of their

State and local partners. 

The Commission recommends that DHS/FEMA, as the primary Federal agency charged with

enhancing our Nation’s disaster preparedness,41 play a leading role in supporting and

improving disaster preparedness of State and local child serving systems and child

congregate care facilities. DHS/FEMA should establish interagency agreements (IAAs) with

OJJDP, ED, CCB, and CB. The IAAs would specify formal commitments of each agency to 

38 Public elementary and secondary schools were expected to have record attendance in fall 2009, with 49.8

million students enrolling. Private elementary and secondary school attendance should reach 5.8 million students.

National Center for Education Statistics, “Fast Facts,” http://www.nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372.

39 The number of children under the age of 6 in some type of child care situation each week exceeds 12 million.

National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, Child Care in America: 2009 Fact Sheets,

(Arlington, VA: NACCRRA, April 2009), 3, http://www.naccrra.org/docs/policy/state-fact-sheet-2009.pdf. 

40 In 2007, more than 1.6 million delinquency cases were processed nationwide resulting in 149,000 youth being

placed out of their home. Charles Puzzanchera, Benjamin Adams, and Melissa Sickmund, Juvenile Court Statistics

2006-2007, ed. National Center for Juvenile Justice (Pittsburgh, PA: NCJJ, 2010), 9, 50,

http://www.ncjjservehttp.org/ncjjwebsite/pdf/jcsreports/jcs2007.pdf.

41 One of DHS’ core missions is to “enhance the ability of State, territory, local, and tribal governments to

prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks and other disasters.” U.S. Department of

Homeland Security, Homeland Security Grant Programs Overview, (Washington, DC: DHS, December 8, 2009), 2,

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/grant-program-overview-fy2010.pdf.
provide funding, expertise, and other resources to support innovative, collaborative

programs to improve disaster preparedness capabilities of State and local child serving

systems and child congregate care facilities. The IAAs would also facilitate increased interagency and inter-governmental planning and coordination, including joint training and

exercises involving emergency management officials and officials from child serving

systems at the State and local level. 

30 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 31

2. Mental Health

Recommendation 2.1: HHS should lead efforts to integrate mental and behavioral

health for children into public health, medical, and other relevant disaster

management activities.

Recommendation 2.2: HHS should enhance the research agenda for children’s disaster

mental and behavioral health, including psychological first aid, cognitive-behavioral

interventions, social support interventions, bereavement counseling and support, and

programs intended to enhance children’s resilience in the aftermath of a disaster.

Recommendation 2.3: Federal agencies and non-Federal partners should enhance predisaster preparedness and just-in-time training in pediatric disaster mental and

behavioral health, including psychological first aid, bereavement support, and brief

supportive interventions, for mental health professionals and individuals, such as

teachers, who work with children.

Recommendation 2.4: DHS/FEMA and SAMHSA should strengthen the Crisis

Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) to better meet the mental health

needs of children and families.

Recommendation 2.5: Congress should establish a single, flexible grant funding

mechanism to specifically support the delivery of mental health treatment services that

address the full spectrum of behavioral health needs of children including treatment of

disaster-related adjustment difficulties, psychiatric disorders, and substance abuse.
32 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 33

Recommendation 2.1: HHS should lead efforts to integrate mental and behavioral 

health for children into public health, medical, and other relevant disaster 

management activities.

- Congress should direct HHS to lead the development of a disaster mental and

behavioral health Concept of Operations (CONOPS) to formalize disaster mental and

behavioral health as a core component of disaster preparedness, response, and

recovery efforts.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the mental health impact of disasters and lack the

experience, skills, and resources to independently meet their mental and behavioral health

needs.42 Mental and behavioral health effects are of specific concern in children of all ages

due to the likelihood of lasting reactions.43 Studies show that following disasters many

children experience academic failure, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression,

anxiety, bereavement, and other behavioral problems such as delinquency and substance

abuse.44, 45, 46 A report by the National Center for Disaster Preparedness on the impact of the

2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster on children and families estimated that over 19

percent of the pediatric population in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi experienced

emotional or behavioral distress related to the oil spill.47 However, as indicated in the

Commission’s Interim Report, the mental health effects of disasters are typically overlooked

in disaster management and often are not considered until well after an event when it is too

late to affect optimal response or recovery efforts.48 A greater focus on the disaster mental

and behavioral health needs of children is necessary throughout Federal, State, and local

preparedness activities, including planning, training, and exercises, and response and

recovery efforts. 

42 David Schonfeld, “Are We Ready and Willing to Address the Mental Health Needs of Children?: Implications

From September 11th,” Pediatrics 113, no. 5 (2004): 1400,

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/113/5/1400. 

43 Annette M. LaGreca, Wendy K. Silverman, Eric M. Vernberg, and Michael C. Roberts (eds.), Helping Children

Cope with Disasters and Terrorism, (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Press, 2002), 327-357.

44 John Pane, Daniel F. McCaffrey, Nidhi Kalra, and Annie J. Zhou, “Effects of Student Displacement in Louisiana

During the First Academic Year After the Hurricanes of 2005,” Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk

(JESPAR) 13, no. 2 (2008):168-211, http://www.rand.org/pubs/reprints/2008/RAND_RP1379.pdf.

45 Ann S. Masten and Joy D. Osofsky (Eds.), “Disasters and Their Impact on Child Development [Special

Section],” Child Development, 81, no. 4 (2010): 1029-1286,

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cdev.2010.81.issue-4/issuetoc. 

46 Annette M. LaGreca, Wendy K. Silverman, Eric M. Vernberg, and Michael C. Roberts (eds.), Helping Children

Cope with Disasters and Terrorism, 11-33.

47 David Abramson, Irwin Redlener, Tasha Stehling-Ariza, Jonathan Sury, Akilah Banister, and Yoon Soo Park,

Impact on Children and Families of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Preliminary Findings of the Coastal Population

Impact Study, Research Brief 2010-8, ed. National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University Mailman

School of Public Health (New York. NY, August 3, 2010), 4, 7,

http://www.ncdp.mailman.columbia.edu/files/NCDP_Oil_Impact_Report.pdf.

48 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, (Washington, DC: NCCD, October 14,

2009), 9, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20091014_508IR_partII.pdf. 

2. Mental Health
34 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

The Commission recommends that Congress direct the Department of Health and Human

Services (HHS) to develop a disaster mental health Concept of Operations (CONOPS) to

formalize disaster mental and behavioral health as a core component of disaster

preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. The CONOPS would establish a national

disaster mental health strategy and identify goals and activities necessary for building local,

State, and Federal disaster mental and behavioral health capabilities for children and

families in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The CONOPS would also outline

the coordination of Federal and non-Federal disaster mental health capabilities and

programs for children and families. Both the Commission, in its Interim Report, and the

National Biodefense Science Board have previously recommended that HHS develop a

disaster mental health CONOPS. HHS, in response to the Commission’s request for

information on progress in implementing its Interim Report recommendations, reported that

the development of a disaster mental health CONOPS requires the designation of a lead

agency with requisite authority and funding.49

Recommendation 2.2: HHS should enhance the research agenda for children’s disaster 

mental and behavioral health, including psychological first aid, cognitive-behavioral 

interventions, social support interventions, bereavement counseling and support, and 

programs intended to enhance children’s resilience in the aftermath of a disaster.

- HHS should convene a working group of children’s disaster mental health and

pediatric experts to review the research portfolios of relevant agencies, identify gaps in

knowledge, and recommend a national research agenda across the full spectrum of

disaster mental health for children and families.

Although research has repeatedly documented the adverse impact of trauma and loss on

children, little research exists evaluating the effectiveness of services and interventions to

address these impacts.50 As noted in the Commission’s Interim Report, evidence suggests

that some commonly used interventions, such as critical incident stress debriefing or

management, are not effective and may instead be damaging, especially when used with

children.51, 52 Even less research has been conducted regarding the effectiveness of services

and interventions for grieving children or those experiencing adjustment problems related to

other stressors prevalent in the aftermath of a disaster. A new, expanded national agenda for

disaster mental health research is necessary to prioritize and facilitate exploration of the full

spectrum of mental health services for children and families. 

49 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Progress Report on Children and Disasters: U.S. Agencies

Take Modest Steps to Achieve Commission Goals,” (Washington, DC: NCCD, May 11, 2010), 5,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100511_NCCD_Progress_Report_FINAL.pdf.

50 Disaster Mental Health Subcommittee, Disaster Mental Health Recommendations: Report of the Disaster

Mental Health Subcommittee of the National Biodefense Science Board, ed. U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services (Washington, DC: HHS, 2008), 8-10.

51 Ibid., 9.

52 George Foltin, David Schonfeld, and Michael Shannon, Pediatric Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness: A

Resource for Pediatricians, AHRQ Publication Number 06(07)-0056, ed. Agency for Healthcare Research and

Quality (Rockville, MD: AHRQ, 2006), 279, http://www.ahrq.gov/research/pedprep/pedresource.pdf.
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 35

The Commission recommends that a working group of children’s disaster mental health and

pediatric experts be convened to review the research portfolios of relevant agencies that

fund Federal research. The working group would identify gaps in knowledge, areas of recent

progress, and priorities for research. The goal is to ensure that the full spectrum of disaster

mental and behavioral health is addressed within this research portfolio, including, but not

limited to, psychological first aid, cognitive-behavioral interventions (including those that

can be delivered to children in schools and other group settings), social support

interventions, bereavement counseling and support, and programs intended to enhance

children’s resilience in the aftermath of disaster.

A priority of this effort should be to support research that further defines resilience and

evaluates the effectiveness of resilience programs and support services for children and

communities recovering from disasters. “Resilience and Sustainability” is identified as one

of nine core principles of recovery in the draft National Disaster Recovery Framework,

which links resilience building efforts with the capacity of communities to recover from

future disasters.53 However, little is known about the characteristics that make children and

communities resilient or the effectiveness of various programs that purport to build or

enhance resilience. 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) expressed support for the establishment of the

proposed working group. NIH also indicated that an opportunity to conduct an annual

review of research on children’s disaster and mental health research may be available via

the Behavioral and Social Science Consortium. The Commission recommends that NIH

vigorously pursue these opportunities in partnership with the Substance Abuse & Mental

Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), the HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), and, as

appropriate, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

Recommendation 2.3: Federal agencies and non-Federal partners should enhance 

pre-disaster preparedness and just-in-time training in pediatric disaster mental and 

behavioral health, including psychological first aid, bereavement support, and brief 

supportive interventions, for mental health professionals and individuals, such as 

teachers, who work with children.

As a result of limited access to formal mental health services and treatment following a

disaster, communities depend on persons who are not mental health professionals but who

routinely interact with children—such as teachers and school staff, first responders, health

care professionals, child care and early education providers, child welfare and juvenile

justice professionals, and members of the faith-based community—to provide basic support

services and brief interventions. As indicated in the Commission’s Interim Report, these

individuals must have basic knowledge of how to recognize signs of distress, assist children

in adjusting and coping, and identify children who require more advanced care.54

53 Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Disaster Recovery Framework Draft, (Washington, DC:

FEMA, February 5, 2010), 13, http://www.fema.gov/pdf/recoveryframework/omb_ndrf.pdf. 

54 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, 11. 
36 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

The Commission continues to recommend that professionals and others who work with

children receive basic training in a range of disaster mental and behavioral health issues, to

include psychological first aid, cognitive-behavioral interventions, social support

interventions, and bereavement counseling and support. Mental health professionals,

including those working in schools and other child congregate care settings, must also

receive adequate training related to disaster mental health care for children.

Optimally, training for mental health professionals and other individuals who work with

children should be provided prior to an event, since supportive services should begin

during the disaster or in the immediate aftermath. Finding adequate time and resources for

staff to receive training in the immediate aftermath of a disaster is difficult. Staff, who may

be affected by the disaster themselves, will likely have to attend to a range of increased

demands in adverse conditions. At the Commission’s January 2010 field visit to Iowa, school

officials expressed the need for pre-event training for school and mental health officials.55

The Commission’s Progress Report notes that, through the Crisis Counseling Assistance and

Training Program (CCP), personnel at schools and faith-based organizations have received

just-in-time training after disasters on providing support to children and families.56 While

these efforts are important, the Commission urges HHS, FEMA, the Department of

Education, and the Department of Justice to expand efforts to provide pediatric disaster

mental and behavioral health training, both before and after disasters, to a larger consortium

of professionals and other individuals who work with children. 

55 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Minutes: Field Visit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” (Washington, DC:

NCCD, 2010), 5, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100106_IowaFieldVisit_MinutesV03FINAL.pdf.

56 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Progress Report on Children and Disasters: U.S. Agencies

Take Modest Steps to Achieve Commission Goals,” 5. 
Recommendation 2.4: DHS/FEMA and SAMHSA should strengthen the Crisis Counseling 

Assistance and Training Program (CCP) to better meet the mental health needs of 

children and families.

- Simplify the Immediate Services Program (ISP) grant application to minimize the

burden on communities affected by a disaster and facilitate the rapid allocation of

funding and initiation of services.

- Establish the position of Children’s Disaster Mental Health Coordinator within Statelevel CCPs. 

- Formally modify the CCP model to indicate and promote “enhanced services” where

the mental health impact is unlikely to be adequately addressed by “typical” CCP

services.

- Include bereavement support and education within services typically provided under

the CCP. 

CCP is a post-disaster grant program administered by FEMA and SAMHSA and awarded to

State mental health agencies or other local or private mental health organizations. CCP

provides Federal funding to help States relieve mental health problems caused or aggravated

by major disasters through the provision of “professional counseling services.”57, 58 The

current CCP model is designed to address the short-term mental health needs of children

and adults affected by disasters by supporting services focusing on individual and group

counseling, education and referrals, and training of lay-person or “paraprofessional”

counselors.59 CCP does not provide mental health treatment or substance abuse services.60

CCP should be strengthened to better meet the needs of children, families, and

communities affected by disasters. Several States have encountered challenges applying for

CCP funding, implementing programs, and assisting people who need more intensive

services than those traditionally provided through CCP. 61, 62

57 Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency Crisis Counseling Assistance

and Training Program Guide, ed. Federal Emergency Management Agency and Substance Abuse & Mental Health

Services Administration (Washington, DC: FEMA, 2009), 9,

http://download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/ken/pdf/cmhs/CCP_Program_Guidance_ver1.1.pdf.

58 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Catastrophic Disasters: Federal Efforts Help States Prepare for and

Respond to Psychological Consequences, but FEMA’s Crisis Counseling Program Needs Improvements, GAO-08-

22, (Washington, DC: GAO, 2008), 10, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0822.pdf.

59 Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, “Emergency Mental Health and

Traumatic Stress: An Overview of the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program,”

http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/emergencyservices/ccp_pg01.asp.

60 Ibid.

61 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Catastrophic Disasters: Federal Efforts Help States Prepare for and

Respond to Psychological Consequences, but FEMA’s Crisis Counseling Program Needs Improvements, 20.

62 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Summary Report: Field Visit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,”

(Washington, DC: NCCD, 2010), 2-3,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100106_IowaFieldVisit_Summary.pdf.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 37
The Commission recommends that FEMA and SAMHSA simplify the CCP application

process. To receive CCP funding from FEMA following a Presidentially declared disaster,

States must first apply for an immediate grant and, if there is a continuing need, a longerterm grant.63 The Immediate Services Program (ISP) grant funds CCP services for up to 60

days following a disaster declaration, while the Regular Services Program (RSP) grant can

help States meet service needs for an additional nine months.64 To apply for the ISP grant,

States must, within 14 days of the disaster declaration, submit a formula-based needs

assessment documenting the inadequacy of their available resources and presenting a plan

for service delivery.65 States with a continuing need for CCP services must submit an

additional application for an RSP within 60 days of the declaration.66 In 2008, the

Government Accountability Office (GAO) chronicled the experiences of six States in

obtaining and using CCP grants to respond to either 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina and found

that all six States encountered difficulties in collecting information required for their ISP

applications within established deadlines and in preparing parts of their ISP applications.67

Officials indicated to GAO “that the amount of information required for their applications

was difficult to collect because of the scope of the disasters and the necessity for responding

on other fronts, such as ensuring the safety of patients and personnel at State-run mental

health facilities.”68 Several State officials also noted that in the immediate aftermath of a

catastrophic disaster, preliminary damage assessments, the location of people in need of

services, and other information required for the ISP application is not always available or

reliable.69 Although Federal agency officials reported to GAO that changes were implemented

in 2007 to decrease information requirements in the ISP and RSP applications, revise the

needs assessment formula, and clarify the applications and corresponding guidance,70 Iowa

officials reported many of the same challenges in applying for and implementing their State

CCP program in response to a series of tornadoes and floods in 2008.71

The Commission recommends that FEMA and SAMHSA, with input from States, simplify the

ISP application so that it can be easily completed in the aftermath of a disaster. In addition,

States may benefit by developing a generic plan for the ISP phase of their program prior to

an event, so that it can be pre-approved by FEMA and SAMHSA. In this manner, funds

could be immediately allocated based on a pre-identified formula using certain measurable

benchmarks related to the damage and the affected population. This would reduce the 

63 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Catastrophic Disasters: Federal Efforts Help States Prepare for and

Respond to Psychological Consequences, but FEMA’s Crisis Counseling Program Needs Improvements, 10.

64 If a State documents the need for additional services, FEMA may extend an RSP grant for an additional 90 days

or, in the case of a catastrophic disaster, an even longer period. Ibid., 11.

65 Ibid., 10-11.

66 Ibid., 10-11.

67 Ibid., 20.

68 Ibid., 20.

69 Ibid., 20.

70 Ibid., 22.

71 As a result of the cascading nature of the events in Iowa, the Iowa Department of Human Services had to

complete 16 grant applications to implement their CCP program, Project Recovery Iowa. In discussions with the

Commission, Iowa officials reported difficulty using the needs assessment tool to estimate resource requirements

and budgetary needs for ISP services within the 14 days allotted. Iowa officials indicated that this difficulty

contributed to underestimating the needs of their citizens. National Commission on Children and Disasters,

“Summary Report: Field Visit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” 2-3.

38 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
burden on affected States and communities and promote the immediate allocation of

funding and initiation of services. If States find that there is a continuing need for services

past the initial 60 day phase supported by the ISP, they would then still apply for the

additional longer-term RSP grant, at which time they would have a more informed idea of

the particular needs of their population and program modifications needed to better address

those needs. 

Any CCP needs assessment or funding formula should include the presence of population

groups, such as children, who are at increased risk for psychological distress. Officials in

State programs reviewed by the GAO expressed concern that the CCP application’s needs

assessment formula did not capture data on the percentage of children and other

particularly vulnerable groups in the affected population, which they considered to be

critical in assessing communities’ mental health needs.72

To further ensure that the needs of children are not overlooked, the Commission

recommends that State-level CCP programs establish a Children’s Mental Health

Coordinator position. After a request from the State-level program in Iowa and much

negotiation, this position was created and funded within Project Recovery Iowa to provide

specific support and oversight of the services offered to children and to ensure that

developmentally-appropriate training and materials were provided to crisis counselors.73

This position also helped to ensure that a focus was placed on children in the service

delivery model and that their unique needs and sensitivities were taken into account.74

FEMA and SAMHSA should support the institutionalization of this position in other State

programs by incorporating the position into guidance and automatically funding it, without

a State having to negotiate for its creation. 

With regard to the scope of services provided under the CCP, the Commission recommends

a formal enhancement of the current CCP model to better serve children and families with

mental health impacts that are more serious than what CCP was designed to address. The

scope of CCP’s services does not include “long term, formal mental health services such as

medications, office-based therapy, diagnostic services, psychiatric treatment, or substance

abuse treatment.”75 Rather, CCP services are designed to be delivered in familiar community

settings by teams of non-mental health providers from the community (paraprofessionals),

who are trained by mental health professionals with specialized mental health or

counseling training.76 Children and families in need of treatment are intended to be referred

to existing service systems.77

72 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Catastrophic Disasters: Federal Efforts Help States Prepare for and

Respond to Psychological Consequences, but FEMA’s Crisis Counseling Program Needs Improvements, 21.

73 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Minutes: Field Visit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” 7-8.

74 Ibid., 7-8.

75 Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Emergency Mental Health and

Traumatic Stress: An Overview of the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program.”

76 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Catastrophic Disasters: Federal Efforts Help States Prepare for and

Respond to Psychological Consequences, but FEMA’s Crisis Counseling Program Needs Improvements, 11.

77 Ramya Sundararaman, Sarah A. Lister, and Erin D. Williams, Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Addressing Survivors’

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Needs, RL33738, ed. Congressional Research Service (Washington,

DC: The Library of Congress, 2006), 2-3. 

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 39
Although CCP provides referrals for treatment services, children and families often have

limited access to traditional mental health providers due to a chronic shortage of mental

health providers,78 and limited insurance coverage in connection with mental health and

substance abuse services.79 Mississippi officials implementing the State-level CCP after

Hurricane Katrina reported to the GAO that they wanted to serve as many people as

possible because fewer providers were available to accept referrals.80 According to New

York, Louisiana, and Mississippi officials who spoke with the GAO, CCP clients could have

benefited from improved crisis counseling beyond the CCP model whether or not they

displayed symptoms indicating the need for referrals.81

In response to requests from New York, Louisiana, and Mississippi to allow their CCPs to

offer enhanced services, FEMA and SAMHSA permitted the development of pilot programs

offering enhanced crisis counseling services “consistent with the non-clinical, short-term

focus of the CCP model.”82, 83 New York’s enhanced services after 9/11 were provided by

mental health professionals based on cognitive behavioral approaches and included up to

12 counseling sessions to help individuals referred for enhanced services develop skills to

cope with anxiety, depression, or other symptoms of post-disaster stress.84 In Louisiana and

Mississippi, individuals who were referred for enhanced services following Hurricane

Katrina were provided services by mental health professionals in a single “stand-alone”

session.85 However, if needed, clients could obtain additional enhanced sessions or referrals

for mental health and substance abuse treatment services.86

The Commission urges FEMA and SAMHSA to formally modify the current CCP model to

include the provision of “enhanced services” in large-scale disasters where the mental

health impact is unlikely to be adequately addressed by “typical” CCP services. In February

2008, the GAO recommended that FEMA and SAMHSA expeditiously “determine what 

78 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Hurricane Katrina: Barriers to Mental Health Services for Children

Persist in Greater New Orleans, Although Federal Grants Are Helping to Address Them, GAO-09-563, (Washington,

DC: GAO, 2009), 7, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09563.pdf.

79 Ramya Sundararaman and C. Stephen Redhead, Mental Health Parity: Federal and State Action and Economic

Impact, RL31657, ed. Congressional Research Service (Washington, DC: The Library of Congress, 2008), 1.

80 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Catastrophic Disasters: Federal Efforts Help States Prepare for and

Respond to Psychological Consequences, but FEMA’s Crisis Counseling Program Needs Improvements, 28.

81 Ibid.

82 Ibid.

83 SAMHSA’s “six operating principles are (1) disaster-trained clinical professionals are a key component of

specialized crisis counseling teams; (2) an active outreach must be maintained; (3) appropriate assessment and

referral techniques will be utilized; (4) specialized techniques must be appropriate to the short-term, temporary

nature of CCP and phases of disaster recovery; (5) specialized techniques must focus on immediate practical needs

and priorities of survivors; and (6) training, supervision, and oversight are critical to successful implementation and

operation.” Ibid., 29.

84 Ibid.

85 Ibid.

86 Ibid.

40 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
types of [enhanced] crisis counseling services should be formally incorporated into CCP

and make necessary revisions to program policy.”87 In response, FEMA and SAMHSA

officials indicated they intended to consider incorporating certain types of enhanced

services into the CCP model.88 However, no form of enhanced services has yet been

codified or communicated to communities as a program enhancement that can be made

available after a disaster. 

Without enhanced services being formally incorporated into the CCP model, some States or

communities may lack knowledge of the potential availability of enhanced services and

therefore may not request or plan to provide them. Institutionalizing the availability of

enhanced services by formally incorporating them into the CCP model for disasters where

the mental health impact is unlikely to be adequately addressed by “typical” CCP services

would enable any State to more effectively prepare prior to a disaster, develop their CCP

proposals, and provide their populations with needed counseling services. 

Finally, while the CCP does provide a means to address bereavement support, the services

reflect a focus on trauma treatment. Reliance on a professional network that has an

exclusive trauma focus to provide technical assistance, support, and just-in-time training has

resulted in limited attention to bereavement support outside the context of addressing

trauma syndromes or symptoms. The inclusion of broader bereavement subject matter

expertise is a critical gap, and more conscious and thoughtful attention to bereavement

support within outreach, education, and counseling services delivered through the CCP

would be an important step toward addressing broader disaster mental health needs of

children and families.

Recommendation 2.5: Congress should establish a single, flexible grant funding 

mechanism to specifically support the delivery of mental health treatment services that 

address the full spectrum of behavioral health needs of children including treatment of 

disaster-related adjustment difficulties, psychiatric disorders, and substance abuse.

Despite the existence of CCP and other Federal assistance programs, the Commission

remains concerned that the mental health needs of many children and families affected by

disasters will go unmet. As the Congressional Research Service noted in a 2006 report:

“Survivors of a disaster often need a range of mental health services that go beyond those

provided for by CCP, which only provides referral to mental health services.”89 Without

additional assistance to address barriers to mental health treatment for children, which

commonly preexist disasters and preclude surge capacity thereafter, many children will be

unable to access the treatment they need. 

87 Ibid., 33. 

88 Ibid., 34.

89 Ramya Sundararaman, Sarah A. Lister, and Erin D. Williams, Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Addressing Survivors’

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Needs, 13.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 41
As previously noted, children often go without needed mental health services on a daily

basis due to a chronic shortage of pediatric mental health professionals90 and limited

insurance reimbursement for these services.91 This gap worsens following disasters because

of increased demand, limited surge capacity among providers, limited transportation, and

other competing family recovery needs.92,93 Resources must be provided to ensure that

children have access to immediate and long-term mental health interventions following

disasters in order to address disaster-caused mental health issues, as well as pre-existing

mental health conditions exacerbated by the disaster.

The Commission recommends that Congress authorize and provide appropriations to

support a single, flexible grant funding mechanism with the specific purpose of addressing

barriers to mental health treatment services for children following disasters. Congress may

choose to modify and adequately appropriate funds through an existing grant program such

as SAMHSA Emergency Response Grants or authorize a new grant program for use after

Presidentially declared disasters.94

Adequate funding should be targeted to States and communities in need, for the specific

purpose of supporting disaster mental health treatment services immediately following a

Presidentially declared disaster and throughout long-term recovery efforts. After catastrophic

disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and 9/11, a variety of different established programs,

such as block grants and other ad hoc grants, have provided pools of funding to States from

which funds could be used to support mental health services. However, States recovering

from disasters face many competing priorities and may not choose to expend funds on

mental health services, which often do not receive attention equivalent to that given to

other health needs. 

Funding should be used to support the full range of mental health and substance abuse

treatment services that are not covered by the CCP, including the treatment of disaster90 Jane Koppelman, The Provider System for Children’s Mental Health: Workforce Capacity and Effective

Treatment, ed. National Health Policy Forum (Washington, DC: NHPF, 2004), 3-5,

http://www.nhpf.org/library/issue-briefs/IB801_ChildMHProvider_10-26-04.pdf. 

91 American Academy of Pediatrics, Improving Mental Health Services in Primary Care: Reducing Administrative

and Financial Barriers to Access and Collaboration, (Elk Grove Village, IL: AAP, 2009), 2-5,

http://practice.aap.org/content.aspx?aid=2775.

92 David Schonfeld, “Are We Ready and Willing to Address the Mental Health Needs of Children?: Implications

From September 11th,” 1400.

93 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Hurricane Katrina: Barriers to Mental Health Services for Children

Persist in Greater New Orleans, Although Federal Grants Are Helping to Address Them, 12.

94 Under SERG, SAMHSA has authority to award noncompetitive grants from its discretionary funding to fund

emergency mental health and substance abuse treatment services not permitted under CCP, whether or not there

has been a major disaster declaration. Although Congress provided funding for the response to Hurricanes Katrina

and Rita through several supplemental appropriations, SAMHSA did not receive any supplemental funding.

Accordingly, SERG grants totaling only $600,000 were split among Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

Ramya Sundararaman, Sarah A. Lister, and Erin D. Williams, Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Addressing Survivors’ Mental

Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Needs, 6. 

42 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
related adjustment difficulties such as bereavement; psychiatric disorders such as PTSD and

acute trauma syndromes, depression, and anxiety; substance abuse; and psychotropic

medication expenses. Funds should also support the anticipated increase in mental health

services after a disaster that may be required for children with mental health problems that

predated the disaster. 

Furthermore, the funding mechanism must provide sufficient flexibility to address other

barriers that prevent access to services such as a lack of mental health providers and

transportation. For example, State and local governments must have the ability to use grant

funds to hire additional mental health providers and train mental health providers in disaster

mental health for children.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 43

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 45

3. Child Physical Health and Trauma 

Recommendation 3.1: Congress, HHS, and DHS/FEMA should ensure availability of

and access to pediatric medical countermeasures (MCM) at the Federal, State, and

local levels for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats.

Recommendation 3.2: HHS and DoD should enhance the pediatric capabilities of their

disaster medical response teams through the integration of pediatric-specific training,

guidance, exercises, supplies, and personnel.

Recommendation 3.3: HHS should ensure that health professionals who may treat

children during a disaster have adequate pediatric disaster clinical training.

Recommendation 3.4: The Executive Branch and Congress should provide resources for

a formal regionalized pediatric system of care to support pediatric surge capacity

during and after disasters.

Recommendation 3.5: Prioritize the recovery of pediatric health and mental health

care delivery systems in disaster-affected areas.

Recommendation 3.6: EPA should engage State and local health officials and nongovernmental experts to develop and promote national guidance and best practices on

re-occupancy of homes, schools, child care, and other child congregate care facilities

in disaster-impacted areas.
46 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 47

Recommendation 3.1: Congress, HHS, and DHS/FEMA should ensure availability of and 

access to pediatric medical countermeasures (MCM) at the Federal, State, and local 

levels for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats.

- Provide funding and grant guidance for the development, acquisition, and stockpiling

of MCM specifically for children for inclusion in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)

and all other federally funded caches, including those funded by DHS/FEMA. 

- Amend the Emergency Use Authorization to allow the FDA, at the direction of the HHS

Secretary, to authorize pediatric indications of MCM for emergency use before an

emergency is known or imminent. 

- Form a standing advisory body of Federal partners and external experts to advise the

HHS Secretary and provide expert consensus on issues pertaining specifically to

pediatric emergency MCM. 

- Within the HHS Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, designate

a pediatric leader and establish a pediatric and obstetric working group to conduct gap

analyses and make research recommendations.

- Include pediatric expertise on the HHS Enterprise Governance Board or its successor

and all relevant committees and working groups addressing issues pertaining to MCM.

- Establish a partnership between the proposed MCM Development Leader and key

pediatric stakeholders both within and outside government.

Children are subject to higher levels of exposure and harm following chemical and

biological incidents.95 Children inhale more air and consume more water on a per-weight

basis than adults.96 Therefore, if a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive

agent enters into the environment, children are more vulnerable than adults to the agent’s

adverse effects. Although these considerations should warrant greater attention to children

during emergencies, the quantity of pediatric medical countermeasures (MCM)97 in the

Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)98 is very limited. While the SNS maintains MCM for

adults for high-threat agents, comparable pediatric indications and countermeasures for 

95 American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Environmental Health and Committee on Infectious Diseases,

“Chemical-Biological Terrorism and Its Impact on Children,” Pediatrics 118, no. 3 (2006): 1271,

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/3/1267.

96 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Child-Specific Exposure Factors Handbook (Final Report) 2008,

(Washington, DC: EPA, 2008), xxi, http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=199243.

97 MCM refer to drugs, biological products, or devices that treat, identify, or prevent harm due to chemical,

biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive agents.

98 The SNS “has large quantities of medicine and medical supplies to protect the American public if there is a

public health emergency severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. Once Federal and local authorities

agree that the SNS is needed, medicines will be delivered to any State in the U.S. within 12 hours. Each State has

plans to receive and distribute SNS medicine and medical supplies to local health departments as quickly as

possible.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Strategic National Stockpile (SNS),”

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/stockpile.

3. Child Physical Health and Trauma 
children are largely unavailable or have not been approved by the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA).99 It is critical that the Federal Government take all steps necessary to

remedy fully and quickly these gaps in coverage for children currently present within the

SNS, in addition to ensuring that MCM developed and approved in the future have pediatric

indications, dosages, and formulations.

A summary report of a February 2010 workshop sponsored by the Public Health Emergency

Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE) 100 reemphasized the need for certain

populations, especially children, to have immediate access to MCM.101 The workshop report

discusses how incentives to develop pediatric MCM102 are impeded by the obstacles

involved in conducting clinical trials of MCM on children.103 Although procurement

contracts issued by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority

(BARDA) for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats contain options to

extend label indications to pediatric populations, the incentive is unsuitable since the

participation of children in controlled trials is virtually impossible.104,105

In December 2009, in the aftermath of the H1N1 pandemic, the Department of Health and

Human Services (HHS) Secretary directed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for

Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to lead a thorough review of its entire MCM system and

99 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Center for Research for Mothers and Children,

Obstetric and Pediatric Pharmacology Branch, "Meeting Minutes, BPCA Biodefense Meeting,” (Rockville, MD:

NIH, September 8-9, 2008), http://bpca.nichd.nih.gov/collaborativeefforts/upload/Biodefense-09-08.pdf.

100 PHEMCE is the inter-agency body responsible for coordinating the research, development, regulation,

procurement, stockpiling, and deployment of MCM. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Project

BioShield,” https://www.medicalcountermeasures.gov/BARDA/bioshield/bioshield.aspx. 

101 Theresa Wizemann, Clare Stroud, and Bruce Altevogt, Innovative Strategies to Enhance Products from

Discovery Through Approval, ed. Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2010), 24,

http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12856&page=R1. 

102 Under Section 505A of the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (i.e., the “Pediatric

Rule”), FDA can request pediatric testing from investigators and manufacturers of a product. The reward for such

testing is a 6-month period of marketing exclusivity to develop patents and intellectual property related to the

product. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, “Frequently Asked

Questions on Pediatric Exclusivity (505A), the Pediatric Rule, and Their Interaction,”

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/DevelopmentResources/ucm077915.htm.

103 Theresa Wizemann, Clare Stroud, and Bruce Altevogt, Innovative Strategies to Enhance Products from

Discovery Through Approval, 40-41.

104 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Memorandum to the National Commission on Children and

Disasters: Response to the National Commission on Children and Disasters Interim Report, March 18, 2010, 17,

Washington, DC.

105 FDA reported to the Commission that “exposure [of children] to toxic substances for the purpose of a

controlled trial is not ethical, and so the FDA must utilize data from sources other than the gold standard

randomized, controlled, clinical trial. In addition, pediatric patients are not capable of providing legal informed

consent, and cannot volunteer for studies, especially if there is not direct benefit to the subject. Pediatric product

development is challenging and unique, and requires a rational approach that leverages existing data to obtain

sufficient evidence of safety and effectiveness in the pediatric population.” Ibid., 21.

48 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
make recommendations.106 The Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures

Enterprise Review, released in August 2010, recognizes the need to enhance the

development and regulatory review of MCM for vulnerable populations, including children

and pregnant women, as part of a broader effort to improve MCM regulatory science,

domestic manufacturing capacity, coordination and collaboration, and financial

incentives.107 While the review does not specify in greater detail the significant gaps that

currently exist in our Nation's portfolio of MCM for children, the Commission supports

several of the recommendations in the review because they provide promising opportunities

to address the disparate challenges that are unique to children, through new mechanisms

and investments. 

The review appropriately recommends that HHS identify a senior leader for the MCM

enterprise (MCM Development Leader). The Commission recommends that there be a

partnership between this leader and key pediatric stakeholders both within and outside

government. This partnership should include the Commission, but in addition, key nongovernmental organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics. Furthermore,

HHS reported to the Commission that it has identified research and development needs and

regulatory issues surrounding pediatric MCM, yet funding is not available to address these

gaps. This information should be coordinated with the MCM Development Leader and

shared with the BARDA senior leadership council.

The review proposes the creation of an independent strategic investment entity for MCM

innovation and development. Pediatric MCM should be a priority and therefore it is vital for

this entity to have pediatric expertise. The review also calls for a reassessment of how

liability protection is offered to the parties involved in MCM development, testing,

manufacturing and administration. The Commission concurs, as liability concerns are

perceived to be a significant barrier to pediatric labeling and the application of MCM to

children.

The review recommends that the FDA be resourced with enhanced capability and capacity

to work proactively with industry sponsors and researchers in targeted areas in the hope that

this activity might help to expedite the development of MCM. In addition, the Commission

recommends that one of the targeted regulatory science enhancement initiatives for the FDA

be pediatric labeling and formulations for existing MCM in the SNS.

The review refers to the FDA's role in the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) process but

does not appear to acknowledge that the EUA (or a modified EUA mechanism) might be a

useful tool in creating more timely solutions to emerging or perceived threats—and

particularly so for children. Recognizing that the development of FDA-approved MCM for 

106 Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, “Address to the American Medical Association Third National Congress on

Health System Readiness,” (Washington, DC: AMA, December 1, 2009), 3,

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/upload/sebeliusdec1speech.pdf. 

107 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, The

Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise Review: Transforming the Enterprise to Meet LongRange National Needs, (Washington, DC: HHS, August 2010).

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 49
children may take several years, the Commission recommends that Congress amend the

EUA statute to permit the FDA, at the direction of the HHS Secretary, to authorize pediatric

indications of MCM for emergency use before an emergency is known or imminent. The

Project BioShield Act of 2004108 established the EUA, which permits FDA to approve “the

emergency use of drugs, devices, and medical products (including diagnostics) that were

not previously approved, cleared, or licensed by FDA” and “the off-label use of approved

products in certain well-defined emergency situations.”109, 110 Despite this mechanism, FDA

lacks authority to authorize MCM prior to a declaration of an emergency, which prevents

the stockpiling of pediatric MCM in the SNS for ready availability, which places children at

an unacceptable risk. Pediatric indications should be authorized when sufficient data exist

regarding the pediatric dose and administration of the MCM, and when expert consensus

advises that it is prudent to stockpile the MCM for pediatric use during an emergency. 

In its Interim Report, the Commission recommended that the HHS Secretary establish an

advisory committee of Federal and external partners to provide expert consensus opinion on

issues pertaining specifically to pediatric MCM.111 The advisory committee could review

existing data and information on MCM and provide rationale and consensus-based

recommendations for use with children during an emergency, ideally before an emergency

occurs. The 2006 Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act 112 specifically gives the HHS

Secretary the authority to establish a working group of experts to “obtain advice regarding

supporting and facilitating advanced research and development related to qualified

countermeasures and qualified pandemic or epidemic products that are likely to be safe

and effective with respect to children, [etc.].” HHS suggested to the Commission that the

advisory committee be established as a standing committee within the NBSB, which has a

broad scope beyond children. The Commission believes this approach is insufficient and

urges Congress and the HHS Secretary to establish this advisory committee as a separate

entity solely dedicated to children.

Finally, the Commission recommends that ASPR designate a pediatric leader within BARDA,

supported by a pediatric and obstetric working group, to conduct gap analyses on MCM for

children and pregnant women, make research recommendations and provide input to

Federal procurement contracts for MCM. Also, as recommended in the Interim Report,

existing committees and working groups must include pediatric experts to ensure children 

108 Public Law (P.L.) 108-276 (2004). 

109 Stuart Nightingale, Joanna Prasher, and Stewart Simonson, Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to Enable

Use of Needed Products in Civilian and Military Emergencies, ed. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(Atlanta, GA: CDC, 2007), 1046, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18214177.

110 The 2009 H1N1 outbreak provided examples of the use of EUAs. EUAs were used to approve the use of

Tamiflu and/or Relenza on children under 1 year of age. EUAs were also issued for use of certain personal

protective equipment during the H1N1 outbreak. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Termination of the

Emergency Use Authorization of Medical Products and Devices,” http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/eua/.

111 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, (Washington, DC: NCCD, October 14,

2009), 15, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20091014_508IR_partII.pdf. 

112 P.L. 109-417 (2006). 

50 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
are represented when MCM are being prioritized for development and procurement.113

HHS reported that the PHEMCE includes pediatric subject matter experts on all of its interagency activities, such as Requirements Working Groups and Integrated Program Teams. The

Commission acknowledges these positive actions and recommends that pediatric leadership

also be included on PHEMCE’s Enterprise Governance Board, which is proposed to be

replaced by the Enterprise Senior Council (ESC). The ESC will include senior leaders of

PHEMCE “to oversee and serve as the decision forum for MCM development policy and

implementation.” 114 Appropriate pediatric leadership would ensure that pediatric MCM

needs are consistently considered throughout the entire MCM development process. 

Recommendation 3.2: HHS and DoD should enhance the pediatric capabilities of their 

disaster medical response teams through the integration of pediatric-specific training, 

guidance, exercises, supplies, and personnel.

- HHS should develop pediatric capabilities within each National Disaster Medical

System (NDMS) region.

- HHS should establish a “reserve pool” of pediatric health care workers to assist in

NDMS disaster response. 

- HHS and DoD should establish a Pediatric Health Care Coordinator on each disaster

medical response team and develop strategies to recruit and retain team members with

pediatric medical expertise.

The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) is the Federal Government’s primary system

to augment disaster medical care in response to major emergencies and disasters. NDMS

has three components: 1) medical response to a disaster area by trained and credentialed

individuals, supplies, and equipment that compose teams, including Disaster Medical

Assistance Teams (DMATs); 115 2) patient movement from a disaster site to participating

health care facilities; and 3) definitive medical care at participating hospitals.116 NDMS has

responded to domestic and international emergencies and disasters, including Hurricane

Katrina and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

113 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, 16.

114 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, The

Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise Review: Transforming the Enterprise to Meet LongRange National Needs, 16.

115 DMAT is “a group of professional and para-professional medical personnel (supported by a cadre of logistical

and administrative staff) designed to provide medical care during a disaster or other event.” Office of the Assistant

Secretary for Preparedness and Response, “Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT),”

http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/responders/ndms/teams/Pages/dmat.aspx. 

116 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, “National Disaster Medical System,”

http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/responders/ndms/Pages/default.aspx. 

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 51
52 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

As highlighted in the Commission’s Interim Report, NDMS’ pediatric capabilities are limited,

even though children constitute a substantial percentage of DMAT patients.117 For example,

only two of the 53 DMATs are Pediatric Specialty Teams118 and less than 6 percent of NDMS

clinical practitioners have subspecialty training in pediatrics.119 Findings from the

Commission’s April 2010 field visit to Florida to examine the domestic impact from the

Federal response to the Haiti earthquake highlighted the need to supplement DMATs with

pediatric specialty health care providers, expand NDMS’ hospital network to include more

pediatric health care facilities, and improve Federal capability to transport pediatric patients.120

In its Interim Report, the Commission made specific recommendations for improving NDMS’

pediatric capabilities, including: adding core competencies on treatment and care of children

to NDMS national credentialing standards; providing pediatric education and training to all

DMAT members; equipping DMATs with appropriate pediatric supplies and equipment prior

to deployments; establishing protocols for delivering care; and developing new pediatric

“strike teams” for responding to disasters in which large numbers of children are injured.121

In response to the Interim Report recommendations, NDMS hired a Deputy Chief Medical

Officer for Pediatric Care. Also, ASPR plans to address the recommendations by: 1)

developing a reserve pool of qualified professionals who have the credentials and

competence to provide a service, but cannot commit to “full-time” NDMS membership122;

2) initiating a cache development program to define a cache standard for pediatrics; and 3)

developing objectives and guidelines for a standard pediatric training curriculum for NDMS

response teams.123 The Commission recommends HHS develop a detailed plan for

accomplishing these objectives. 

117 Katherine A. Gnauck, Kevin E. Nufer, Jonathon M. LaValley, Cameron S. Crandall, Frances W. Craig, and

Gina B. Wilson-Ramirez, "Do Pediatric and Adult Disaster Victims Differ? A Descriptive Analysis of Clinical

Encounters from Four Natural Disaster DMAT Deployments," Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 22, no. 1 (2007):

67, http://pdm.medicine.wisc.edu/Volume_22/issue_1/nufer.pdf.

118 PSTs are specialty DMATs, composed of “individuals specifically trained in the care of children and

pediatric-specific equipment, supplies, and pharmaceuticals.” Debra Weiner, Shannon Manzi, Mark Waltzman,

Michele Morin, Anne Meginniss, and Gary Fleisher, “FEMA's Organized Response with a Pediatric Subspecialty

Team: The National Disaster Medical System Response: A Pediatric Perspective,” Pediatrics 117, no.5 (2006): S406,

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/117/5/S2/S405.

119 Nicole Lurie, Testimony of Nicole Lurie before the U.S. Senate, Committee on Homeland Security and

Governmental Affairs, Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, “Children and Disasters: The Role of HHS in

Evacuation Planning and Mental Health Recovery,” Washington, DC, August 4, 2009,

http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=aa8241f6-6f0e-41a5-87c3-

07c9a58ecbfa. 

120 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Summary Report: Field Visit, Miami, Florida,” 

(Washington, DC: NCCD, 2010), 2, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/Summary_FLFieldVisit_FINAL.pdf.

121 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, 18-19.

122 NDMS uses individuals with specific expertise in medical or public health services, emergency management,

forensic sciences, and other related fields. These individuals must meet prerequisite training requirements

applicable to their positions before being eligible to participate on an NDMS team and be available for interstate

deployment. If accepted, individuals become intermittent Federal employees, compensated when deployed on an

NDMS mission. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, “Recruitment Information:

National Disaster Medical System,”

http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/responders/ndms/teams/Pages/recruitment.aspx.

123 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Memorandum to the National Commission on Children and

Disasters: Response to the National Commission on Children and Disasters Interim Report, 27-28.
The Commission recommends that NDMS form a pre-credentialed reserve pool of pediatric

professionals to supplement DMATs. DMATs often do not have members with expertise in

key pediatric specialties, such as individuals who provide surgical, intensive care, nursing,

or neonatology services. Difficulty in recruiting pediatric health care providers to DMATs is

often due to the significant time commitment for travel, training, and exercises. As an

alternative to recruiting pediatric specialists as full-time DMAT members, a reserve pool of

pediatric specialists could provide individuals to supplement a DMAT if there is a high

demand during an emergency for their particular expertise. For example, many health care

workers—including more than 1,200 pediatricians and children’s hospital personnel124—

spontaneously volunteered to work in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Despite their good

intentions, many of these professionals could not participate because they had not been

previously trained and credentialed by emergency response organizations. NDMS would

identify reserve pool members before a disaster to ensure they receive proper credentials,

liability coverage, and basic disaster training. NDMS is working with pediatric

organizations such as the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related

Institutions and the American Academy of Pediatrics to encourage membership in DMATs

and reserve pools. The NDMS should assess the current state of its network and work with

stakeholder groups to further expand participation by pediatric centers. This would serve to

increase the available bed capacity—and particularly critical care beds—and awareness

and management of that limited resource.

The Commission also recommended that a Pediatric Health Care Coordinator be designated

on each federally funded medical response team,125 with responsibility for developing

strategies for enhancing pediatric medical expertise within the team. In response, the U.S.

Public Health Service’s Office of Force Readiness and Deployment (OFRD), which oversees

U.S. Commission Corps teams126 that deploy in response to public health emergencies,

established Pediatric Health Care Coordinators.127 OFRD also committed to evaluating the

feasibility of expanding its Readiness and Response Program to include rostered Pediatric

Strike Teams within existing resources and funding. However, OFRD noted that funding is

not provided in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 budget request for OFRD pediatric teams or

pediatric-specific field training or exercises. The Commission recommends that Congress

appropriate funds to support these activities and that HHS include funds in the FY 2012

budget request. Furthermore, the Commission urges HHS and other Federal agencies,

particularly the Department of Defense (DoD), to establish and appropriately resource

Pediatric Health Care Coordinators on their medical response teams. 

124 National Commission on Children and Disasters, personal communication with the American Academy of

Pediatrics, July 15, 2010.

125 Federally funded medical response teams include DMATs, Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

teams, DoD teams, and Medical Reserve Corps teams. 

126 OFRD’s teams include Rapid Deployment Force Teams and Mental Health Teams, as well as recently

developed Services Access Teams, which are specifically designed to assist those affected by a disaster, including

children and youth, by connecting them with local service providers. United States Public Health Service, “Office

of Force Readiness and Deployment,” http://ccrf.hhs.gov/ccrf/.

127 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Memorandum to the National Commission on Children and

Disasters: Response to the National Commission on Children and Disasters Interim Report, 27.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 53
54 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

Recommendation 3.3: HHS should ensure that health professionals who may treat 

children during a disaster have adequate pediatric disaster clinical training.

- The President should direct the Federal Education and Training Interagency Group for

Public Health and Medical Disaster Preparedness and Response (FETIG) to prioritize

the development of pediatric core competencies, core curricula, training, and research.

- The FETIG should support the formation of a Pediatric Disaster Clinical Education and

Training Working Group to establish core clinical competencies and a standard,

modular pediatric disaster health care education and training curriculum.

Health professionals, whether responding to a disaster scene or treating survivors in a

hospital, must have appropriate training to provide needed medical care to children.

Children are a significant portion of the population and are as likely as adults, if not more

likely, to sustain serious injuries during disasters. In 2009 and 2010, Federal disaster

response teams were deployed to disaster sites in American Samoa and Haiti, where

children constitute approximately 40 percent of the population. In Haiti, children sustained

serious crushing injuries, in many cases requiring amputations.128

Emergency managers and health professionals should plan and train for an anticipated

number of pediatric survivors requiring medical care after a disaster based on the

demographics of their community. Pediatric training provided to emergency medical

responders varies in content and quality primarily due to the absence of national standards

for pediatric disaster education and training.129 As noted previously, few DMAT members

have formal subspecialty training in pediatrics.130 Also, the National Guard Bureau staff

reported that there is very limited pediatric training for emergency responders who are not

already pediatric specialists.131

128 Daniel Green, “Public Comment at the National Commission on Children and Disasters Public Meeting,

February 2, 2010,” 4-6, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100202_PublicComment_DGreen.pdf.

129 Elizabeth Ablah, Annie M. Tinius, and Kurt Konda, “Pediatric Emergency Preparedness Training: Are We on a

Path toward National Dissemination?,” The Journal of Trauma 67, no. 2 (2009): S156.

130 While 68 percent of the clinical practitioners comprising DMATs have pediatric-specific training, only 5.6

percent have formal subspecialty training in pediatrics (e.g., pediatricians, pediatric nurse practitioners, pediatric

emergency medicine, and pediatric critical care), and 47 percent have formal training specific to pregnant women.

“Pediatric-specific training” refers to boarded or licensed providers who have received formalized training in

pediatric care as well as training for other age groups (e.g., Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine).

“Subspecialty training in pediatrics” refers to physicians and nurse practitioners who have received formalized

training limited to pediatrics. Allen Dobbs, Chief Medical Officer, NDMS, personal communication to Christopher

Revere, August 19, 2009. 

131 MAJ Julie Carpenter, Medical Operations Officer, National Guard Bureau, personal communication to

Commissioner Michael Anderson, July 23, 2010.
The Commission recommends that the President direct the Federal Education and Training

Interagency Group for Public Health and Medical Disaster Preparedness and Response

(FETIG) 132 to address these deficiencies. As part of this effort, the Commission recommends

that FETIG, working through the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health

(NCDMPH), should prioritize the development of pediatric core competencies, core

curricula, training, and research in the NCDMPH’s work plan. The Commission

recommends that all Federal agencies represented on the FETIG, particularly HHS as the

coordinating agency for Emergency Support Function (ESF) #8,133 provide the resources

necessary to support the mission and continuation of the FETIG. 

To complete this work, the FETIG should support the formation of a Pediatric Disaster

Clinical Education and Training Working Group with appropriate pediatric subject matter

experts to complete this work. The Commission’s Interim Report recommended forming this

working group to: establish detailed core competencies and skill sets for different types of

responders and health care professionals; develop a national training curriculum based on

those core competencies; review existing training materials; provide guidance on how to

incorporate children into exercises and drills; and build continuing education requirements

into licensing and re-certification processes.134

The importance of training is reflected in the HHS 2009 National Health Security Strategy

(NHSS), which outlines actions for ensuring the Nation’s health in the event of a major

disaster or incident. One of NHSS’ 10 strategic objectives is to “develop and maintain the

workforce needed for national health security.”135 The lack of training and certification

standards is noted as one obstacle to achieving this objective.136 A companion NHSS

Implementation Guide outlines specific activities to be accomplished in 2010, including

prioritizing areas of investment and developing workforce competencies.137 The

Commission recommends that HHS explicitly address the needs of children in its efforts to

expand workforce training and development.

132 FETIG is an advisory group with representatives from Federal agencies, academia, and the private sector that

coordinates public health, medical disaster preparedness, and response core curricula, training standards, and

education for use by Federal agencies and non-governmental organizations. Office of the Assistant Secretary for

Preparedness and Response, Charter for the Federal Education and Training Interagency Group, (Washington, DC:

HHS, March 13, 2008), 1-3. 

133 ESF #8, Public Health and Medical Services, coordinates all Federal assistance in support of State, local,

tribal, and regional response to public health and medical disasters, incidents requiring a coordinated Federal

public health or medical response, and developing public health or medical emergencies. U.S. Department of

Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, “National Response Framework, Emergency Support

Function #8 – Public Health and Medical Services Annex,” http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nrf/nrf-esf-08.pdf. 

134 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, 19-20.

135 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Health Security Strategy of the United States of

America, (Washington, DC: HHS, 2009), 8,

http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/authority/nhss/strategy/Documents/nhss-final.pdf. 

136 Ibid., 9.

137 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Interim Implementation Guide for the National Health

Security Strategy of the United States of America, (Washington, DC: HHS, 2009), 4,

http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/authority/nhss/implementationguide/Documents/iig-final.pdf.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 55
56 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

Recommendation 3.4: The Executive Branch and Congress should provide resources 

for a formal regionalized pediatric system of care to support pediatric surge capacity 

during and after disasters.

- HHS should include pediatric surge capacity as a “Required Funding Capability” in 

the Hospital Preparedness Program. 

- States and hospital accrediting bodies should ensure all hospital emergency

departments stand ready to care for ill or injured children through the adoption of

emergency preparedness guidelines jointly developed by the American Academy of

Pediatrics, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Emergency Nurses

Association.138

A mass casualty event or major public health emergency involving children will rapidly

overwhelm local health care response capabilities. Communities must develop pediatric

medical surge plans that focus on incorporating and sharing local, regional, State, and

Federal resources. Regionalization of emergency care was one of the key recommendations

of the 2006 Institute of Medicine (IOM)’s Committee on the Future of Emergency Care.139

Formal regionalized pediatric systems have been associated with improvements in daily

patient outcomes as well as medical surge capacity during disaster response and long-term

recovery.140,141

In September 2009, Federal, State, and local policymakers and stakeholders assessed

progress made since the IOM’s 2006 report during a two-day workshop on regionalizing

emergency care sponsored by the Emergency Care Coordination Center.142 Representatives

from key Federal agencies offered comments on opportunities and challenges going

forward, including the need for: data-driven approaches to measuring effectiveness and

designing systems; a Congressional action plan for advancing regionalization; the

establishment of roles, responsibilities, and priorities of a lead Federal agency; and

consistency across all regional emergency medical services (EMS) systems. 

138 American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Emergency Nurses

Association, “Joint Policy Statement: Guidelines for Care in the Emergency Department,” Pediatrics 124, no. 4

(2009): 1233-43, http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/pediatrics;124/4/1233.pdf.

139 Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System, Board on Health Care

Services, Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains. Executive Summary, ed. Institute of Medicine (Washington,

DC: National Academies Press, 2007), 4, http://www.nap.edu/nap-cgi/report.cgi?record_id=11655&type=pdfxsum.

140 Monica E. Kleinman, “Regionalization of Critical Care: Not Just for Kids,” Critical Care Medicine 37, no. 7

(2009): 2149-2154.

141 Murray Pollack, Steven Alexander, Nancy Clarke, Urs Ruttiman, Helen Tesselaar, and Antoinet Bachulis,

“Improved Outcomes from Tertiary Center Pediatric Intensive Care: A Statewide Comparison of Tertiary and Nontertiary Care Facilities,” Critical Care Medicine 19, no. 2 (1991): 150-159. 

142 ASPR’s ECCC was established to promote and support Federal programs that will enhance emergency care

and its delivery systems; to advance regional partnerships; and to support State, local, and regional preparedness

and response capability. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, “ECCC Frequently Asked

Questions,” http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/eccc/Pages/faqs.aspx.
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 57

In light of the ongoing challenges, the Commission recommends that the Executive Branch

and Congress invest greater resources to assist health care systems in regionalization,

compliance with the national emergency care guidelines for children, and development of

pediatric medical surge capacity for disasters. The 2009 American Recovery and

Reinvestment Act143 allocated funds for comparative effectiveness research, providing an

opportunity to bolster research on regionalized systems of pediatric care. Additional

funding for demonstration projects on regionalization was authorized in the 2010 Patient

Protection and Affordable Care Act.144 The scope of this authorization includes at least four

projects that will design, implement, and evaluate innovative regional emergency medical

care systems. An explicit requirement is that all grantees address “pediatric concerns

related to integration, planning, preparedness, and coordination of emergency medical

services for infants, children, and adolescents.”145 Given the potential of these projects to

advance regional systems of care for children, the Commission recommends that Congress

appropriate funds for this initiative. 

While regional pediatric systems of care rely on the participation of the Nation’s 250

children’s hospitals,146 other hospitals also must be prepared to provide appropriate care for

children. As noted in the Commission’s Interim Report, up to 50 percent of disaster

survivors will be “walk-ins,” arriving at hospital emergency departments through means

other than EMS.147 However, most hospitals are not adequately prepared to treat critically ill

children. Only 6 percent of hospital emergency departments have inventories of pediatric

equipment and supplies that meet national guidelines.148

To support hospital preparedness regionalization efforts, the Commission recommends that

the HHS Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) include pediatric surge capacity as a

“Required Funding Capability.”149 Furthermore, to increase awareness of funding eligibility for

pediatric initiatives, children should be specifically referenced throughout future HPP grant

guidance, rather than grouped within a subset of “at-risk populations.” HPP should highlight

and share pediatric funded activities and best practices with hospitals and eligible health care

systems. HHS reported that several States used program funding to develop pediatric specific

initiatives including regionalized pediatric response, evacuation plans, improved risk

communications, improved training, pediatric stockpiles, and pediatric strike teams.150

143 P.L. 111-5 (2009).

144 P.L. 111-148 (2010).

145 P.L. 111-148, Sec. 1204.

146 National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI), “History of Children’s

Hospitals,”

http://www.childrenshospitals.net/AM/Template.cfm?Section=+History+of+Children%E2%80%99s+Hospitals&TE

MPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=12693.

147 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, “Preparation by General Health Care Facilities for a Surge of

Critically Ill Children,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

http://www.ahrq.gov/prep/pedhospital/pedhospital6.htm. 

148 American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Emergency Nurses

Association, “Joint Policy Statement: Guidelines for Care in the Emergency Department,” 1234.

149 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, “Hospital Preparedness Program,”

http://www.phe.gov/preparedness/planning/hpp/pages/default.aspx.

150 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Memorandum to the National Commission on Children and

Disasters: Response to the National Commission on Children and Disasters Interim Report, March 18, 2010, 8,

Washington, DC.
Notwithstanding the need for greater Federal support, State health care licensing bodies and

the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations must be the primary

drivers in promoting health care system regionalization and adoption of standards and

emergency preparedness recommendations.151

Recommendation 3.5: Prioritize the recovery of pediatric health and mental health 

care delivery systems in disaster-affected areas.

- Congress should establish sufficient funding mechanisms to support restoration and

continuity of for-profit and non-profit health and mental health services to children. 

- The Executive Branch should recognize and support pediatric health and mental health

care delivery systems as a planning imperative in the development and implementation

of the National Health Security Strategy and National Disaster Recovery Framework.

- HHS should create Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program incentive

payments for providers in disaster areas. 

- The American Medical Association should adopt a new code or code modifier to the

Current Procedural Terminology to reflect disaster medical care in order to facilitate

tracking of these services and as a means for enhanced reimbursement from public 

and private payers.

Health and mental health care providers face significant challenges in restoring their

operations in a timely manner post-disaster, which hinders the consistent provision of care

to children and families during disaster recovery. Therefore, Federal, State, and local disaster

recovery planning must consider existing resource gaps for the recovery of health and

mental health care practices after disasters. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and

Emergency Assistance Act (“Stafford Act”)152 provides funds for repairs to public or nonprofit

medical facilities. However, approximately 85 percent of pediatric treatment in the United

States occurs in privately-owned medical practices.153 Although the Small Business

Administration makes loans to support rebuilding and provide operating capital for private,

for-profit businesses, many practices affected by major disasters may lack the means to

qualify for or repay such loans since health care practices often experience a decline in

patients and variations in health insurance reimbursements. After Hurricanes Katrina and

Rita, it took nearly two years for many physicians in the New Orleans area to treat a volume

of patients sufficient to sustain their practices.154

151 The Joint Commission, “About the Joint Commission,” http://www.jointcommission.org/AboutUs/.

152 P.L. 93-288, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 5121-5207 (1988).

153 Suk-fong Tank, Profile of Pediatric Visits, ed. American Academy of Pediatrics (Elk Grove, IL: AAP, 2007), 2,

http://practice.aap.org/public/ProfileOfPediatricVisits.pdf.

154 Gary Peck, Testimony of Gary Peck before the U.S. Senate, Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, “Post-Katrina Health Care in the New Orleans Region: Progress

and Continuing Concerns,” Washington, DC, August 1, 2007, 4,

http://www.aap.org/advocacy/washing/Testimonies-Statements-Petitions/08-01-07-NOLA-Providers-Testimony.pdf.

58 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
The Commission recommends that Congress establish sufficient funding mechanisms to

support restoration and continuity of for-profit and nonprofit health and mental health

services to children following a disaster. The National Health Security Strategy recognizes

the importance of restoring access to health services following a disaster. The Strategy states

that pre-event planning is fundamental to resuming service delivery in areas affected by a

disaster. Such planning should address: behavioral health services for both the affected

community and responders; the provision of medical services throughout the recovery

period; and the rebuilding and restoration of health care delivery mechanisms, including

the health care infrastructure.155

In the Interim Report, the Commission recommended the development of a National

Disaster Recovery Strategy which, among several provisions, would include: 

• Continuous access to the full spectrum of pediatric medical services, including a

medical home,156 pediatric specialty services, and children’s hospitals; 

• Federal disaster assistance grants for all medical facilities damaged or destroyed by a

disaster, such as primary medical, dental, and mental health care practices and clinics;

and 

• Access to appropriate crisis, bereavement, and mental health services.157

In addition, the Commission recommends that the National Health Security Strategy and the

National Disaster Recovery Framework and Recovery Support Functions prioritize and

support the continuity and restoration of health and mental health practices in jurisdictions

affected by disasters. In addition, Federal, State, and local recovery planning must involve

primary and mental health care providers at the community level. 

The Commission further recommends that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

create Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) incentive payments for

providers in areas impacted by disasters. Following Hurricane Katrina, the Federal

Government provided a 10 percent increase in Medicare reimbursements to physicians in

New Orleans after designating Orleans Parish a health professional shortage area.158

However, pediatricians did not benefit from this assistance since eligible children are

insured under Medicaid, not Medicare.159

155 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Health Security Strategy of the United States of

America, 15.

156 A “medical home” is defined as a source of primary care that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive,

family-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective. Stephen E. Edwards, “Foreword,” Pediatrics:

Supplement: The Medical Home 113, no. 5 (2004): 1471.

157 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, 6.

158 Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, “News Release: Orleans Parish Declared as Health

Professional Shortage Area,” http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/news.asp?ID=1&Detail=857&Arch=2006#. 

159 Gary Peck, “Post-Katrina Health Care in the New Orleans Region: Progress and Continuing Concerns,” 6.

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60 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

Finally, the Commission recommends the creation of a unique code or code modifier to the

Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)160 to report professional services provided in a

declared disaster area to public and private health insurance providers. This would allow the

appropriate documentation and tracking of such services in the aftermath of a disaster.

Insurers may also choose to compensate health care providers with higher insurance

reimbursement for services provided to disaster-affected individuals. The Commission is

currently collaborating with the American Academy of Pediatrics to propose a new CPT code

for “disaster-related care” to the American Medical Association’s CPT Editorial Panel in

2010.161

Recommendation 3.6: EPA should engage State and local health officials and nongovernmental experts to develop and promote national guidance and best practices 

on re-occupancy of homes, schools, child care, and other child congregate care 

facilities in disaster-impacted areas.

- EPA and HHS should expand research on pediatric environmental health risks

associated with disasters.

Children may suffer serious health and wellness consequences after disasters due to

environmental exposure to and inhalation of particulate matter containing asbestos, lead,

cement dust, and mold.162 Following 9/11, 52.8 percent of 3,184 children enrolled in the

World Trade Center Health Registry displayed a new or worsened respiratory symptom and

5.7 percent received a new diagnosis of asthma.163 More recently, a report by the National

Center for Disaster Preparedness on the impact of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster

on children and families estimated that over 40 percent of the population living within 10

miles of the coast had experienced some direct exposure to the oil spill, and that

households with children were 1.4 times more likely to report oil spill exposure than

households without children.164

160 CPT is “the most widely accepted medical nomenclature used to report medical procedures and services

under public and private health insurance programs.” CPT® is registered trademark of the American Medical

Association. American Medical Association, “About CPT,” http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physicianresources/solutions-managing-your-practice/coding-billing-insurance/cpt/about-cpt.shtml.

161 CPT is “maintained by the CPT Editorial Panel, which meets three times a year to discuss issues associated

with new and emerging technologies as well as difficulties encountered with procedures and services and their

relation to CPT codes.” Ibid.

162 Philip Landrigan, Paul Lioy, George Thurston, Gertrud Berkowitz, L.C. Chen, Steven Chillrud, Stephen

Gavett, Panos Georgopoulos, Alison Geyh, Stephen Levin, Frederica Perera, Stephen Rappaport, Christopher Small,

and the NIEHS World Trade Center Working Group, “Health and Environmental Consequences of the World Trade

Center Disaster,” Environmental Health Perspectives 112, no. 6 (2004): 738,

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241968/pdf/ehp0112-000731.pdf. 

163 Pauline Thomas, Robert Brackbill, Lisa Thalji, Laura DiGrande, Sharon Campolucci, Lorna Thorpe, and Kelly

Henning, “Respiratory and Other Health Effects Reported in Children Exposed to the World Trade Center Disaster

of 11 September 2001,” Environmental Health Perspectives 116, no. 10 (2008): 1386,

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2569099/pdf/ehp-116-1383.pdf.

164 David Abramson, Irwin Redlener, Tasha Stehling-Ariza, Jonathan Sury, Akilah Banister, and Yoon Soo Park,

Impact on Children and Families of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Preliminary Findings of the Coastal Population

Impact Study, Research Brief 2010-8, ed. National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University Mailman

School of Public Health (New York. NY, August 3, 2010), 4, 7,

http://www.ncdp.mailman.columbia.edu/files/NCDP_Oil_Impact_Report.pdf. 
The Commission recommends that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in

collaboration with its network of Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSU)165

and other pediatric experts, develop national guidance and best practices for families,

caregivers, health care providers, and responsible parties to determine when it is safe for

children to re-enter or re-occupy a home, school, child care facility, or other facility affected

by a disaster. EPA should partner with HHS and other Federal agencies to expand existing

guidance with information specific to children, including Planning Guidance for Protection

and Recovery Following Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) and Improvised Nuclear

Device (IND) Incidents,166 Draft Planning Guidance for Recovery Following Biological

Incidents,

167 and The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's draft Clean-up

Decision-Making Guidance for Chemical Incidents, which is under development by an

interagency working group. 

The Commission also recommends additional research to expand the evidence base on

environmental health risks to children associated with disasters. In 1997, EPA and HHS

partnered with other Federal agencies to establish the President’s Task Force on

Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children.168 Among the Task Force’s

accomplishments were the development of the National Children’s Study, the Federal

Strategy Targeting Lead Paint Hazards, and the Healthy School Environments Assessment

Tool to examine environmental threats to children’s health.169 The authority for the Task

Force expired in 2005, and efforts are underway to reestablish the Task Force in 2010. The

Commission recommends that the Task Force prioritize research efforts on environmental

health risks of children associated with disasters.170

165 PEHSUs are a network of pediatric environmental health specialists who provide information and outreach

concerning protection of children’s health from environmental hazards. PEHSUs conduct academic research,

partner with local medical practices, and provide free clinical consultations of environmental exposures. Jerome

Paulson, Catherine Karr, James Seltzer, Debra Cherry, Perry Sheffield, Enrique Cifuentes, Irena Buka, and Robert

Amler, “Development of the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit Network in North America,” American

Journal of Pediatric Health 99, no. S3 (2009): S511-512, http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/reprint/99/S3/S511.

166 Federal Emergency Management Agency, “Planning Guidance for Protection and Recovery Following

Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) and Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) Incidents,” Federal Register 73, no.

149 (2008): 45032, http://www.fema.gov/good_guidance/download/10260.

167 U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Draft – Planning

Guidance for Recovery Following Biological Incidents, (Washington, DC: DHS, 2009), 1,

http://www.trivalleycares.org/comments/DHSDraftGuidance.pdf.

168 Peter Grevatt, Testimony of Peter Grevatt before the U.S. Senate, Committee on Environment and Public

Works, Washington, DC, March 17, 2010, 4,

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=1e09573e-707b-4e69-95cbf4d80898b9c3.

169 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Environmental Health: High-Level Strategy and Leadership Needed

to Continue Progress toward Protecting Children from Environmental Threats, GAO 10-205, (Washington, DC:

GAO, 2010), 41-42, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10205.pdf. 

170 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Meeting Minutes of the Pediatric Medical Care

Subcommittee,” (Washington, DC: NCCD, March 22, 2010), 2,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/NCCD%20Subcommittees/20100323_PMCSubcommitteeReport.pdf.

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NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 63

4. Emergency Medical Services and Pediatric 

Transport 

Recommendation 4.1: The President and Congress should clearly designate and

appropriately resource a lead Federal agency for emergency medical services (EMS)

with primary responsibility for the coordination of grant programs, research, policy,

and standards development and implementation.

Recommendation 4.2: Improve the capability of emergency medical services (EMS) to

transport pediatric patients and provide comprehensive pre-hospital pediatric care

during daily operations and disasters.

Recommendation 4.3: HHS should develop a national strategy to improve Federal

pediatric emergency transport and patient care capabilities for disasters.
64 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 65

Recommendation 4.1: The President and Congress should clearly designate and 

appropriately resource a lead Federal agency for emergency medical services (EMS)171

with primary responsibility for the coordination of grant programs, research, policy, 

and standards development and implementation.

- Establish a dedicated Federal grant program under a designated lead Federal agency for

pre-hospital EMS disaster preparedness, including pediatric equipment and training.

As stated in the National Health Security Strategy, emergency medical services (EMS) is an

integral part of our Nation’s emergency services system, alongside police, fire, and

emergency management.172 Numerous Federal programs and entities provide some form of

support or policy-making for EMS. These entities include the Federal Interagency Committee

on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS);173 the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration’s Office of EMS174 and National EMS Advisory Council;175 the Health

Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Emergency Medical Services for Children

(EMSC) program;176 and the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Assistant

Secretary for Preparedness and Response’s Emergency Care Coordination Center,177 among

others. FICEMS was primarily established to ensure coordination among the Federal

agencies and entities involved with State, local, tribal, or regional emergency medical

services and 9–1–1 systems.178 However, FICEMS does not have program management and

budgetary authority to provide disaster preparedness grants to EMS providers and ensure

accountability for meeting National performance measures. 

171 EMS is a system of public and private agencies and organizations providing treatment and transportation of

patients to available emergency medical care. 

172 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Health Security Strategy of the United States of

America, (Washington, DC: HHS, December 2009), 1,

http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/authority/nhss/strategy/Documents/nhss-final.pdf.

173 FICEMS was established in 2005 to: ensure coordination among Federal agencies; identify the needs of State,

local, tribal, and regional EMS systems; recommend programs, including grant programs; help establish priorities;

and advise and make recommendations regarding the implementation of State EMS programs. Public Law (P.L.)

109-59, 119 Stat. 1933, (2005), http://ems.gov/pdf/ficems-bill.pdf.

174 The Office of EMS provides support to FICEMS in coordination with HHS and the Department of Homeland

Security (DHS) and manages the EMS.gov Web site. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “The History

of EMS at NHTSA,” http://www.ems.gov/other/history.html.

175 The National EMS Advisory Council was established in April 2007 “as a nationally recognized council of

EMS representatives and consumers to provide advice and recommendations regarding EMS to NHTSA.” National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “NEMSAC,” http://www.ems.gov/nemsac/index.html. 

176 Emergency Medical Services for Children National Resource Center, “EMSC: An Historical Perspective,”

Children’s National Medical Center,

http://www.childrensnational.org/files/PDF/EMSC/EMSC_An_Historical_Perspective.pdf.

177 ECCC was established to promote and support Federal programs that enhance emergency care and its

delivery systems. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, “Emergency Care Coordination

Center,” http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/eccc/Pages/default.aspx.

178 P.L. 109-59, 119 Stat. 1933 (2005).

4. Emergency Medical Services and Pediatric Transport 
In 2006, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported that “[t]he scattered nature of Federal

responsibility for emergency care makes it difficult for the public to identify a clear point of

contact, limits the visibility necessary to secure and maintain funding, and creates overlaps

and gaps in program funding.”179 Accordingly, IOM recommended that Congress establish a

lead agency that has “primary programmatic responsibility for the full continuum of

emergency medical services and emergency and trauma care for adults and children,”

including pre-hospital care and medical-related disaster preparedness.180 The Commission

finds that Federal agency leadership and oversight for pre-hospital EMS is still unclear and

supports IOM’s recommendation that Congress clearly designate and appropriately resource

a lead Federal agency for EMS.

The Commission also recommends that Congress establish a dedicated Federal grant

program to improve EMS disaster preparedness and response. The National EMS Advisory

Council released a position statement in June 2009 stating: “Providing core funding

specifically for EMS, regardless of delivery model, to ensure surge capacity and response to

public health emergencies and natural or man-made disasters is an essential public

interest.”181 Unlike other first responder entities, including emergency management

agencies, law enforcement, fire departments, public health departments and hospitals, the

majority of EMS systems in the Nation do not receive Federal grant support for disaster

preparedness and response.182 In addition, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of

2009183 did not authorize funds for EMS organizations. Grants are necessary to support

State-level coordination and disaster planning, field-level staffing, pediatric supply and

equipment needs, pediatric-specific training and exercises, and, in general, the expansion of

pediatric surge capacity for disasters. A lead Federal agency is also necessary to ensure

existing emergency preparedness grant programs establish pediatric EMS performance

measures.

179 Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System, Board on Health Care

Services, Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains, ed. Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC: National

Academies Press, 2007), 6-7, http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11655. 

180 Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System, Board on Health Care

Services, Hospital-Based Emergency Care: At the Breaking Point, ed. Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC:

National Academies Press, 2007), 368, http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11621.

181 National EMS Advisory Council, Position Statement adopted June 3, 2009,

http://www.ems.gov/pdf/NEMSAC_PositionStatement_HealthcareReform.pdf.

182 National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials, State EMS Office Involvement in

Domestic Preparedness Efforts: NASEMSO 2008 Addendum, (Falls Church, VA: NASEMSO, 2008), 5,

http://www.nasemso.org/Projects/DomesticPreparedness/documents/08DPAddendumReport-2.pdf.

183 P.L.111-5 (2009).

66 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 67

Recommendation 4.2: Improve the capability of emergency medical services (EMS) to 

transport pediatric patients and provide comprehensive pre-hospital pediatric care 

during daily operations and disasters.

- Congress should provide full funding to the Emergency Medical Services for Children

(EMSC) program to ensure all States and territories meet targets and achieve progress

in the EMSC performance measures for grantees, and to support development of a

research portfolio.

- As an eligibility guideline for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reimbursement,

require first response and emergency medical response vehicles to acquire and

maintain pediatric equipment and supplies in accordance with the national guidelines

for equipment for Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support vehicles.184

- HHS and DHS should establish stronger pediatric EMS performance measures within

relevant Federal emergency preparedness grant programs.

- HHS should address the findings of the EMSC 2009 Gap Analysis of EMS Related

Research.185

As noted in the Commission’s Interim Report, the IOM reported in 2006 that on a daily

basis a great disparity exists across the Nation in the quality of adult and pediatric

emergency care, which is exacerbated by disasters.186 EMS requirements regarding

coordination among first responders, equipment standards, and emergency care training

vary widely across localities, regions, and States.187 IOM identified specific challenges to

pre-hospital pediatric care including: the lack of essential pediatric equipment on

ambulances; gaps in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medical

countermeasures for children; a lack of pediatric inter-facility transfer agreements among

hospitals; and a lack of pediatric training requirements for pre-hospital emergency medical

technicians.188 A 2009 IOM workshop convened to examine progress in improving

emergency care since the previous report found that, despite some new Federal programs

and initiatives, many of these gaps still exist.189

184 American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, American College of Emergency Physicians, National

Association of EMS Physicians, Pediatric Equipment Guidelines Committee – Emergency Medical Services for

Children Partnership for Children Stakeholder Group, and American Academy of Pediatrics, Equipment for

Ambulances, (Washington, DC: Children's National Medical Center, 2009): 2-5,

http://www.childrensnational.org/files/PDF/EMSC/PubRes/Equipment_for_ambulances_FINAL.pdf.

185 Emergency Medical Services for Children National Resource Center, Children’s National Medical Center,

Gap Analysis of EMS Related Research: Report to the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS, (Washington, DC:

EMSC, 2009),

http://www.childrensnational.org/files/PDF/EMSC/NationalActivities/Gap_Analysis_of_EMS_Related_Research.pdf.

186 Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System, Board on Health Care

Services, Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains, 1-2.

187 Ibid., 6.

188 Ibid., 2. 

189 Institute of Medicine, The National Emergency Care Enterprise: Advancing Care Through Collaboration:

Workshop Summary, (Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2009),

http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12713.
The Interim Report included a recommendation to increase funding for the EMSC program190

within HHS.191 The Commission concurs with the IOM recommendation that the EMSC be

funded at $37.5 million per year for five years.192 Additional funds will help States meet the

EMSC’s pediatric-specific performance measures, including: pediatric equipment on

ambulances; interfacility transfer guidelines and agreements to expedite pediatric transfer;

pediatric education requirements for pre-hospital providers; and online, offline, or written

pediatric medical direction193 for pre-hospital providers.194,195 These funds can support: the

establishment and maintenance of a full-time EMSC administrator in every State and

territory; research to build an evidence base for the development of standardized prehospital pediatric disaster care practices and protocols; and the evaluation of each State’s

performance in providing EMS services to children, which provides incentives for progress

and public transparency in the use of the funds. 

There are other existing mechanisms of Federal support for EMS providers that can be

directed to support EMS disaster preparedness. For example, the Centers for Medicare &

Medicaid Services (CMS) provides reimbursement for medical services to EMS providers.196

The Commission recommends that CMS, as a condition for reimbursement, require first

responder and emergency medical response vehicles to acquire and maintain pediatric

equipment and supplies, in accordance with the national guidelines for equipment for basic

life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS) vehicles.197 In 2007, only 16 percent of

BLS units and 18 percent of ALS units reported meeting EMSC performance measures for

essential pediatric equipment and supplies as outlined in the national guidelines.198 States

and territories, which are responsible for the licensing and regulation of patient transport

vehicles, also should require BLS and ALS units to meet the national guidelines.

190 The EMSC Program, administered by HRSA, “provides States grant money to help develop and institutionalize

emergency medical services for critically ill and injured children” by enhancing existing EMS systems’ pediatric

capability. Emergency Medical Services for Children National Resource Center, “EMSC: An Historical Perspective.”

191 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, (Washington, DC: NCCD, October 14,

2009), 26, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20091014_508IR_partII.pdf.

192 Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System, Board on Health Care

Services, Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains, 14.

193 Medical direction protocols allow a paramedic or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) to contact a

physician from the field via radio or other means to obtain instructions on further care for a patient.

194 Emergency Medical Services for Children National Resource Center, EMSC Performance Measures: 2009-

2010 “Final” Edition, (Washington, DC: Children’s National Medical Center, October 1, 2009), 14-92,

http://www.childrensnational.org/files/PDF/EMSC/ForGrantees/PM_Implemenation_Manual_V2009.pdf.

195 The full list of EMSC performance measures is available on HRSA’s Web site. Emergency Medical Services for

Children, “Performance Measures,” Health Resources and Services Administration,

http://bolivia.hrsa.gov/emsc/PerformanceMeasures.aspx. 

196 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “Ambulance Services Center,”

https://www.cms.gov/center/ambulance.asp.

197 American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, American College of Emergency Physicians, National

Association of EMS Physicians, Pediatric Equipment Guidelines Committee – Emergency Medical Services for

Children Partnership for Children Stakeholder Group, and American Academy of Pediatrics, Equipment for

Ambulances, 2-5. 

198 Diana Fendya, Sally Snow, and Tasmeen Singh Weik, “Using System Change as a Method of Performance /

Quality Improvement for Emergency and Trauma Care of Severely Injured Children: Pediatric System Performance

Improvement,” Journal of Trauma Nursing 17, no. 1 (2010): 32.

68 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 69

In addition, the Commission recommends that Federal emergency preparedness grant

programs establish stronger pediatric EMS performance measures. The Hospital

Preparedness Program within the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness

and Response should hold hospital grantees accountable for acquiring recommended

pediatric equipment and supplies and establishing interfacility transport guidelines and

agreements for children, in alignment with the EMSC’s performance measures. According to

a 2003 survey, only 6 percent of hospital emergency departments carry essential pediatric

equipment199 and only 14 percent of hospitals have interfacility transport guidelines

containing all the subcomponents recommended by EMSC.200 Interfacility agreements and

guidelines are necessary to ensure hospitals are prepared to quickly and effectively move

patients to appropriate definitive care, which is essential for hospitals that lack the

capability to care for pediatric trauma patients.201

Also, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should establish stronger pediatric EMS

accountability measures within the DHS Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) in

alignment with the EMSC’s performance measures. State grantees should adequately support

EMS providers and the regionalization of EMS assets to enhance both pediatric and adult

medical surge capacity during disasters. As cited in the HSGP FY 2010 guidance, DHS

requires State and local grantees to include EMS in all State and urban area homeland

security plans.202 The HSGP guidance also suggests that these plans include the needs of

infants and children as well as individuals with disabilities.203 However, the HSGP grants

enable States to establish their own priorities and accountability measures for meeting these

requirements, and DHS does not promote or monitor the provision of funding to EMS

providers.204 State and local emergency management agencies must have stronger

requirements and incentives to work closely with State EMSC program coordinators to

improve EMS and meet disaster preparedness goals.

Finally, the Commission recommends that HHS provide funds to address the research gaps

identified in the EMSC National Resource Center’s (NRC) Gap Analysis of EMS Related

Research.

205 The NRC analysis concludes further research in EMS disaster preparedness for

both adults and children is needed in the areas of education and training of disaster and

EMS personnel; systems efficacy for surge capacity, staffing, and strategies to minimize 

199 Marianne Gausche-Hill, Charles Schmitz, and Roger Lewis, “Pediatric Preparedness of US Emergency

Departments: A 2003 Survey,” Pediatrics 120, no. 6 (2007): 1230,

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/120/6/1229.

200 Diana Fendya, Sally Snow, and Tasmeen Singh Weik, “Using System Change as a Method of Performance /

Quality Improvement for Emergency and Trauma Care of Severely Injured Children: Pediatric System Performance

Improvement,” 32.

201 Ibid., 29.

202 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Fiscal Year 2010 Homeland Security Grant Program: Guidance and

Application Kit, (Washington, DC: DHS, 2009), 10,

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/government/grant/2010/fy10_hsgp_kit.pdf.

203 Ibid., 10-11.

204 State grantees do not need to provide direct funding to EMS providers if they can “demonstrate that related

target capabilities have been met or identify more significant priorities.” Ibid., 11.

205 Emergency Medical Services for Children National Resource Center, Children’s National Medical Center,

Gap Analysis of EMS Related Research: Report to the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS.
parent-child separation; and outcomes of patients being treated and released by EMS

personnel. The analysis also indicates a need to develop a unique structure of research that is

specific for disasters or mass casualty events.206 The Commission agrees with the importance

of this finding and recommends a specific emphasis be placed on pediatric needs.

Furthermore, the Commission concurs with the 2006 IOM recommendation that the HHS

Secretary examine the gaps and opportunities in emergency and trauma care research to outline

the organizational structure, priorities, and funding for future research efforts.207 The Commission

recommends that the HHS Secretary provide funds to support an initiative that identifies new

strategies for creating research networks, assimilating emergency care researchers into grant

review processes, and developing a pediatric clinical research center or institute.208

Recommendation 4.3: HHS should develop a national strategy to improve Federal 

pediatric emergency transport and patient care capabilities for disasters.

- Conduct a national review of existing capabilities among relevant government 

agencies209 and the private sector for emergency medical transport of children.

When State and local emergency medical response capabilities are overwhelmed, the

National Disaster Medical System (NDMS)210 and other Federal assets may be deployed to

provide medical support upon request. As discussed in Chapter 3, one component of NDMS

is patient transport. Specifically, NDMS partners with the Department of Defense’s (DoD) U.S.

Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) to coordinate and execute patient evacuation and

transport from a disaster site to receiving points for definitive care within the U.S.211

Although USTRANSCOM is called on to evacuate and transport patients of all ages from

disaster sites, DoD reported to the Commission that it has limited ability to provide medical

care and transport for children. DoD’s deployable teams are primarily trained and equipped

to support military forces.212 In addition, DoD’s capacity for patient transport in general is

limited by the availability of medical aircraft and trained aeromedical personnel.213

206 Ibid., 15-16.

207 Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System, Board on Health Care

Services, Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains, 314.

208 Ibid., 314.

209 For example, the Department of Defense, DHS, and the Coast Guard.

210 NDMS was originally designed to support the medical care and transport of military and civilian casualties

from a war abroad, but has never been used for this purpose; its mission today includes post-disaster medical

support for civilians. Crystal Franco, Eric Toner, Richard Waldhorn, Thomas Inglesby, and Tara O’Toole, “The

National Disaster Medical System: Past, Present, and Suggestions for the Future,” Biosecurity and Bioterrorism:

Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science 4, no. 5 (2007): 319, http://www.upmcbiosecurity.org/website/resources/publications/2007_orig-articles/2007_article_pdfs/2007-12-04-natldisastermedsys

tempastpresfut.pdf.

211 Ibid., 322.

212 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Progress Report on Children and Disasters: U.S. Agencies

Take Modest Steps to Achieve Commission Goals,” (Washington, DC: NCCD, May 11, 2010), 7,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100511_NCCD_Progress_Report_FINAL.pdf.

213 Crystal Franco, Eric Toner, Richard Waldhorn, Thomas Inglesby, and Tara O’Toole, “The National Disaster

Medical System: Past, Present, and Suggestions for the Future,” 322-323.

70 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NDMS and DoD are not the only entities activated to provide support for medical care and

patient transport during disasters. The Coast Guard and State National Guard units may also

be activated during emergencies for medical response.214,215 Also, FEMA manages a National

Ambulance Contract to provide ground ambulances, air ambulances, and paratransit

vehicles to any location in the country within 24 hours of activation.216 In addition, many

health care organizations and hospitals have their own private patient transport assets or

vendor agreements.217

The Commission recommends that HHS, as the coordinator and primary agency in charge

of Emergency Support Function (ESF) #8,218 develop a national strategy to ensure a baseline

capability to provide appropriate emergency care and transport of children during disasters.

A national strategy is necessary to improve coordination during large-scale medical

evacuation and transportation of children to appropriate definitive care during disaster

response.219

To inform a national strategy, the Commission recommends that HHS conduct an

assessment to determine Federal and non-Federal pediatric medical transport capacities.

The assessment would examine local, regional and national pediatric patient transport

capabilities, including necessary equipment and training to provide emergency care to

children. The assessment should provide a gap analysis that compares the supply of

available pediatric-capable assets with demand under all hazards scenarios in different

regions of the country. In addition, the review should outline: the organizational structures

of medical transport units; the State or regional differences in EMS requirements; the

estimated number of EMS units; the resource capacities of EMS teams; and the skill

214 During Hurricane Katrina, the Coast Guard assisted with the evacuation of 9,462 patients and medical

personnel from hospitals and nursing homes. Federal Emergency Management Agency, “The First Year After

Hurricane Katrina: What the Federal Government Did,”

http://www.dhs.gov/xfoia/archives/gc_1157649340100.shtm.

215 Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still

Unprepared, S. Rpt. 109-322, (Washington, DC: GPO, 2006), 414,

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/creports/katrinanation.html.

216 U.S. Department of Transportation, “FEMA Awards EMSC/AMR Disaster Response Contract,”

http://www.dotcr.ost.dot.gov/Documents/Emergency/artikel-8759400.htm. 

217 Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System, Board on Health Care

Services, Future of Emergency Care: Emergency Medical Services at the Crossroads, ed. Institute of Medicine

(Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2007), 58, http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11629.

218 ESF #8, Public Health and Medical Services, coordinates all Federal assistance in support of State, local,

tribal, and regional response to public health and medical disasters, incidents requiring a coordinated Federal

public health or medical response, and developing public health or medical emergencies. U.S. Department of

Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, “National Response Framework, Emergency Support

Function #8 – Public Health and Medical Services Annex,” http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nrf/nrf-esf-08.pdf.

219 For example, more than 4,000 patients were evacuated through the New Orleans airport and some patients

were placed on Air Force aircraft; however, more than half were placed on National Guard and private aircraft and

thus were not logged and tracked as NDMS patients. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental

Affairs, Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still Unprepared, 414.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 71
capabilities of medical transport personnel. The assessment should also include private 

air ambulance assets, as many injured children evacuated from Haiti to Florida after the

2010 Haiti earthquake were transported via private air ambulances outside the NDMS

system.220, 221

The Commission’s recommendation builds on a 2008 report issued by the National

Biodefense Science Board, which recommended that NDMS develop “a standard patient

movement concept of operations” that explicitly addresses the needs and management of

at-risk individuals, including children and pregnant women, as well as an

“accounting/tracking system that can properly register the true capacity of non-overlapping

NDMS medical personnel who can be deployed for an event.” 222

220 Ian Urbina, “Paperwork Hinders Airlifts of Ill Haitian Children,” New York Times, February 8, 2010,

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/world/americas/09airlift.html.

221 Enrique Ginzburg, William O’Neill, Pascal Goldschmidt-Clermont, Eduardo de Marchena, Daniel Pust, and

Barth Green, “Rapid Medical Relief - Project Medishare and the Haitian Earthquake,” The New England Journal of

Medicine 362, no. 10 (2010): 1-3, http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMp1002026.

222 National Biodefense Science Board, Strategic Improvements To The National Disaster Medical System

(NDMS): Report From The Disaster Medicine Working Group NDMS Assessment Panel, (Washington, DC: HHS,

September 2008), 5.

72 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 73

5. Disaster Case Management 

Recommendation 5.1: Disaster case management programs should be appropriately

resourced and should provide consistent holistic services that achieve tangible,

positive outcomes for children and families affected by the disaster.
74 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 75

Recommendation 5.1: Disaster case management programs should be appropriately 

resourced and should provide consistent holistic services that achieve tangible, positive 

outcomes for children and families affected by the disaster.

- The Executive Branch and Congress should provide sufficient funds to build, support,

and deploy a disaster case management system with nationwide capacity.

- DHS/FEMA should clarify the transition from Federal to State-led disaster case

management programs.

- Government agencies and non-governmental organizations should develop voluntary

consensus standards on the essential elements and methods of disaster case

management, including pre-credentialing of case managers and training that includes

focused attention to the needs of children and families.

Children and families often require disaster case management223 services to help them

regain self-sufficiency and address problems that a disaster has caused or exacerbated.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita demonstrated that in large-scale disasters the demand for

disaster case management services may overwhelm the resources of voluntary, faith-based,

and State and local organizations.224

In its Interim Report, the Commission concurred with the Government Accountability Office

(GAO)225 and recommended that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

establish a single Federal disaster case management program by the end of 2009.226 More

specifically, the Commission recommended that this program: be led by a single Federal

agency; be holistic, flexible, and sensitive to cultural, linguistic, and economic differences

in communities; place a priority on serving the needs of families and children; ensure that

case managers are rapidly deployed to affected areas; be adequately funded to support

infrastructure, capacity building, and all aspects of disaster case management service 

223 Disaster case management has been defined as “the process of organizing and providing a timely,

coordinated approach to assess disaster-related needs including health care, mental health, and human services

needs that were caused or exacerbated by the event and may adversely impact an individual’s recovery if not

addressed. The purpose of disaster case management is to rapidly return individuals and families who have

survived a disaster to a state of self-sufficiency.” Roberta Lavin and Sylvia Menifee, Disaster Case Management:

Implementation Guide, (Washington, DC: Administration for Children and Families, 2009), 6-7,

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohsepr/dcm/docs/Draft_DCM_ImplementationGuide.pdf.

224 Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, donations from foreign countries enabled FEMA to fund the Katrina

Aid Today consortium. The Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, passed in October 2006, amended

the Stafford Act to grant the President the authority to provide financial assistance for case management services to

survivors of major disasters. Public Law (P.L.) 109-295, title VI, §689f, codified at 42 U.S.C. §5189d (2006); U.S.

Government Accountability Office, Disaster Assistance: Improvements in Providing Federal Disaster Case

Management Services Could Help Agencies Better Assist Victims, GAO-10-278T, (Washington, DC: GAO, 2009), 1,

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10278t.pdf. 

225 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Disaster Assistance: Greater Coordination and an Evaluation of

Programs' Outcomes Could Improve Disaster Case Management, GAO-09-561, (Washington, DC: GAO, 2009),

34, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09561.pdf. 

226 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, (Washington, DC: NCCD, October 14,

2009), 31-32, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20091014_508IR_partII.pdf.

5. Disaster Case Management 
delivery; and include a comprehensive evaluation component that measures and monitors

outcomes, especially in regard to children. 

FEMA and the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for

Children and Families (ACF) signed an interagency agreement (IAA) in December 2009 to

allow the implementation of ACF’s disaster case management program.227 Under this IAA,

following a Presidential disaster declaration and a FEMA-approved request from the affected

State(s) for disaster case management services, ACF can initiate the deployment of disaster

case management teams within 72 hours of notification from FEMA. Disaster case

management teams will remain deployed for 30 to 180 days, after which FEMA and ACF

will coordinate the transfer of all remaining clients to the State lead agency, enabling the

continued coordination of services.

The Commission recommends that the Executive Branch and Congress provide sufficient

adequate funds to build, support, and deploy a disaster case management program with

nationwide capacity. The Commission is concerned that the Federal Government has not

adequately funded development of the ACF Program. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, HHS

requested, but Congress did not approve, $10 million to build the program’s capacity (e.g.,

training and credentialing of personnel, planning assistance to States) and develop a

comprehensive case management database for training and recovery planning. In FY 2010,

Congress approved just $2 million for disaster case management, and for FY 2011 the

President requested $2 million. Meanwhile, FEMA indicates that it does not have authority

to support funding for pre-event training or direct services to families through a disaster case

management program. 

The GAO review of Federal disaster case management programs also found gaps that

“adversely affected” the delivery of case management services to some families and

illuminated the need for greater coordination and program evaluation.228, 229 These gaps

include interruptions in funding and service delivery, as program responsibility transferred

from one agency to another, and delays in starting new State-level programs. Ultimately,

children and families deserve a smooth, uninterrupted transition from agency to agency and

from short- to long-term recovery. The Commission seeks clarity from FEMA regarding how

it will address the transition of survivors’ cases to a State-run disaster case management

program, including contingency plans to continue Federal disaster case management

services if a State is unprepared to provide such services to its survivors.

227 FEMA News Release HQ-09-145, “FEMA and Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for

Children and Families Improve Disaster Case Management through Interagency Agreement,”

http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=50037. 

228 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Disaster Assistance: Improvements in Providing Federal Disaster

Case Management Services Could Help Agencies Better Assist Victims, 7-9. 

229 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Disaster Assistance: Greater Coordination and an Evaluation of

Programs' Outcomes Could Improve Disaster Case Management, 13-14. 

76 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Not all disasters will involve disaster case management assistance from the Federal or State

Government; local non-governmental agencies will often be assisting survivors in certain

circumstances. Therefore, the National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters

(NVOAD) collaborated with the Council on Accreditation230 to develop disaster case

management guidelines to provide their members with a standardized set of policies and

practices in the delivery of services to meet long-term recovery needs. However, these

guidelines may deviate from the parameters of the ACF case management program. For

example, under the NVOAD guidelines, disaster case managers may be employees or

volunteers, based on their life experience, skills, education, and training as determined by

the voluntary organization. Alternatively, the ACF model uses case managers who have a

bachelor’s degree in a health care-related or human services field.231

The Commission recognizes the unique service delivery challenges associated with

disasters, especially in addressing the long-term recovery needs of families with children,

and that all case management programs may not implement identical service delivery

models. The Commission recommends that Federal, State, and non-governmental partners

develop voluntary consensus standards on the essential elements and methods of disaster

case management and case manager training, through research and evaluation, to reconcile

philosophical differences. Furthermore, the Commission recommends that case managers

be pre-credentialed and provided specialized disaster training to advocate for the full range

of necessary health, mental health, and other social services assistance for families with

children. 

230 Council on Accreditation, “Case Management,”

http://www.coacanadastandards.org/standards.php?navView=private§ion_id=21.

231 In the ACF model, paraprofessionals or volunteers are designated as case manager assistants or client

navigators. Roberta Lavin and Sylvia Menifee, Disaster Case Management: Implementation Guide, 68. 

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 77

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 79

6. Child Care and Early Education

Recommendation 6.1: Congress and HHS should improve disaster preparedness

capabilities for child care.

Recommendation 6.2: Congress and Federal agencies should improve capacity to

provide child care services in the immediate aftermath of and recovery from a

disaster. 

Recommendation 6.3: HHS should require disaster preparedness capabilities for Head

Start Centers and basic disaster mental health training for staff.
80 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 81

Recommendation 6.1: Congress and HHS should improve disaster preparedness 

capabilities for child care.

- Congress and HHS should require States to include disaster planning, training, and

exercise requirements within the scope of their minimum health and safety standards

for child care licensure or registration. 

- Congress should provide HHS the authority to require States to develop statewide

child care disaster plans in coordination with State and local emergency managers,

public health, State child care administrators and regulatory agencies, and child care

resource and referral agencies.

Child care providers must be prepared to provide a safe and secure environment for

children during and after a disaster. Over 12 million children under the age of six are in

child care every week.232 However, according to a 2010 report by Save the Children, only

14 States233 have laws or regulations requiring licensed child care providers to develop

written disaster plans for addressing general evacuation processes, reunification efforts, and

accommodation of children with special needs.234

The Commission recommended in its Interim Report that disaster preparedness for child care

be ensured through two measures: requiring States to include disaster planning in their

minimum health and safety standards for child care licensure or registration; and developing

statewide child care disaster plans with State and local emergency managers and other

agencies involved in child care.235 State plans should include guidelines for the continuation

of child care services in the aftermath of a disaster, including the provision of emergency and

temporary child care services and temporary operating standards. At a minimum, provider

plans should include provisions for evacuation and relocation, shelter-in-place or lock-down

procedures, communication and reunification with families, continuity of operations,

accommodation of persons with disabilities and chronic medical conditions, staff and

volunteer training, and practice drills.236 These plans should also be coordinated with local

emergency management and included in overall local planning efforts.237

232 This includes children in child care centers, family child care homes, and the homes of friends and relatives.

National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, Child Care in America: 2009 Fact Sheets,

(Arlington, VA: NACCRRA, April 2009), 3, http://www.naccrra.org/docs/policy/state-fact-sheet-2009.pdf.

233 The word “States” includes the District of Columbia, which is one of the 14 “States” meeting the named criteria.

234 Save the Children, A National Report Card on Protecting Children During Disasters, (Westport, CT: Save the

Children, 2010), 4, http://www.savethechildren.org/atf/cf/%7B9def2ebe-10ae-432c-9bd0-

df91d2eba74a%7D/2010-Disaster-Report.pdf.

235 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, (Washington, DC: NCCD, October 14,

2009), 35, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20091014_508IR_partII.pdf.

236 Save the Children and the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies have

developed disaster preparedness standards for child care, including guidance for State regulatory practices and

child care providers, which include these recommended provisions. National Association of Child Care Resource

& Referral Agencies, Keeping Children Safe: A Policy Agenda for Child Care in Emergencies, (Arlington, VA:

NACCRRA, 2008), http://www.naccrra.org/disaster/docs/Disaster_Report.pdf.

237 The lack of coordination and communication with emergency management was evident in Iowa, where only child

care providers in communities near nuclear power plants coordinated planning with local emergency managers, and

that was only because it is required for nuclear preparedness planning. Outside of those areas, there was less

communication between child care providers and emergency management officials. National Commission on Children

and Disasters, “Summary Report: Field Visit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” (Washington, DC: NCCD, 2010), 5-6,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100106_IowaFieldVisit_Summary.pdf.

6. Child Care and Early Education 
82 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

The Commission recommends that Congress and the Child Care Bureau (CCB) within the

Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families

implement disaster preparedness requirements by statute and regulation. Currently, CCB

encourages, but does not require, disaster planning among its Child Care Development

Block Grant (CCDBG)238 grantees (States, tribes, and territories), and the child care provider

community. However, CCDBG requires States to certify that they have child care licensing

requirements and to establish baseline health and safety standards for child care providers

supported by CCDBG. CCB should require States to include disaster planning as part of the

State’s baseline health and safety standards for child care providers supported by CCDBG

funds. Furthermore, Congress should amend the CCDBG Act to embed these basic disaster

planning requirements in statute. The amendments would require States to develop

statewide child care disaster plans in coordination with State and local emergency

managers, public health, State child care administrators and regulatory agencies, and child

care resource and referral agencies, as well as require States to incorporate minimum

disaster preparedness requirements for child care providers within the scope of the State’s

licensing or regulatory regime. 

Currently, ACF and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA) are collaborating to provide guidance to states on developing

statewide comprehensive child care disaster plans. In Chapter 1 of this report, the

Commission recommends that ACF and DHS/FEMA establish a formal interagency

agreement to pool resources to make funding, technical assistance, and training available to

further support child care preparedness efforts. 

Incorporating disaster preparedness in quality rating systems for child care providers may

provide another effective mechanism for promoting provider preparedness, especially

among providers who may be exempt from certain licensure and regulatory requirements.239

In recent years, several States have adopted Quality Rating and Improvement Systems

(QRIS) designed to assess and improve the quality of child care for children.240 The

Commission urges States to incorporate elements of emergency preparedness into their

rating systems.

238 CCDBG provides formula grants to States, territories, and tribes to help low-income families obtain child care

services

239 For instance, in some States, home-based providers and providers serving a small number of children may be

exempt from the State’s licensing or regulatory scheme. 

240 QRIS aim to make “child-care quality transparent to child-care providers, parents, and policymakers.” RAND

Corporation, “Child-Care Quality Rating and Improvement Systems: What Can We Learn from Early Adopters?,”

(Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2008), 1,

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/2008/RAND_RB9377.pdf.
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 83

Recommendation 6.2: Congress and Federal agencies should improve capacity to 

provide child care services in the immediate aftermath of and recovery from a disaster. 

- DHS/FEMA should revise its Public Assistance regulations to codify child care as an

essential service. 

- Congress should codify child care as an “essential service of a governmental nature” in

the Stafford Act. 

- Federal agencies should incorporate child care as an essential service in the National

Response Framework, the National Disaster Recovery Framework, the National

Disaster Housing Concept of Operations, and Disaster Housing Practitioners’ Guide.

- Congress should authorize a grant funding mechanism, such as an emergency

contingency fund, to repair or rebuild private, for-profit child care facilities, support the

establishment of temporary child care, and reimburse States for subsidizing child care

services to disaster-affected families.

Child care services must be restored as quickly as possible following a disaster to provide

children with a safe environment and sense of routine while parents make efforts to rebuild

their lives. During a field visit to Iowa in January 2010, the Commission discovered that,

where child care was not available, children were typically kept at home, sometimes

playing in debris or other unsafe conditions.241 If a community does not have access to

quality child care after a disaster, parents may not be able to work, placing further

economic stress on the family and the community.242 Following large-scale events, child

care services may recover slowly or may not be restored to full capacity. Following

Hurricane Katrina in 2005, only 65 percent of the child care centers in the Greater New

Orleans area had reopened as of December 2009.243

In its Interim Report, the Commission presented recommendations designed to help restore

child care capacity immediately following and during the recovery from a disaster.244

Specifically, the Commission recommended that the provision of child care be designated as

an essential service in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery across all levels of

government. The Commission also recommended that reimbursement provided under the

Stafford Act be expanded to support 1) disaster child care services for affected families, 2) the

establishment of emergency and temporary child care, and 3) the rebuilding of damaged child

care facilities, regardless of whether providers operate as private businesses or nonprofits.

241 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Summary Report: Field Visit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” 6. 

242 National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, Keeping Children Safe: A Policy Agenda for

Child Care in Emergencies, 9.

243 Senator Mary Landrieu, Opening Statement of Chairman Landrieu before the U.S. Senate, Committee on

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, “Children and

Disasters: A Progress Report on Addressing Needs,” Washington, DC, December 10, 2009, 2,

http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_id=bba3b475-bd7e-4138-9cdf3ed88c17f73e.

244 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, 37.
In response to the Commission’s recommendations, FEMA revised its Public Assistance

policy to permit reimbursement to State and local governments for the provision of

emergency child care services that coincide with the emergency sheltering period in the

immediate aftermath of a disaster.245 FEMA also clarified, as a statement of policy, that child

care is an “essential service of a governmental nature,” meaning that nonprofit child care

providers may be eligible for FEMA assistance to repair damaged facilities if they do not

qualify for Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans or if the SBA approves a loan

for less than the amount required to repair the damage.246 FEMA recently published

guidance clarifying these policies247 and HHS will be assisting FEMA in distributing the

guidance to child care administrators in States and Territories.248 The Commission

recommends that FEMA revise its Public Assistance regulations to codify these statements of

policy. In addition, the Commission recommends that child care be codified as an

“essential service of a governmental nature” in the Stafford Act. 

Although FEMA’s policy of reimbursing State and local governments for emergency child

care services during emergency sheltering operations should benefit families, an emergency

sheltering period typically lasts a few days.249 Families recovering from disasters may need

additional assistance to help cover the costs associated with quality child care once they

leave the shelter. As detailed in the Interim Report, after Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi

provided 60-day emergency child care certificates to displaced families in need of child

care assistance, many of whom otherwise would not have been eligible for benefits due to

residency, income, or work requirements.250,251 Mississippi served 2,700 displaced children at

an approximate cost of $1.65 million with the expectation that it could be reimbursed, but

absorbed the expense as there was no mechanism in place for Federal reimbursement.

Mississippi was denied reimbursement from FEMA and was not eligible to receive

additional CCDBG funding.252 Currently, no mechanism provides services or assistance to

affected families with needs beyond the sheltering period. Neither is there a means to

provide targeted support to States to assist them in meeting additional child care needs

resulting from an influx of displaced families.

245 Eligible child care costs may include, but are not limited to labor, facility costs, supplies, and commodities.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FEMA Disaster Assistance Fact Sheet 9580.107: Public Assistance for Child

Care Services, ed. Federal Emergency Management Agency (Washington, DC: FEMA, March 2010), 1,

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/government/grant/pa/9580_107.pdf.

246 Ibid., 1-2.

247 Ibid., 1-2. 

248 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Progress Report on Children and Disasters: U.S. Agencies

Take Modest Steps To Achieve Commission Goals,” (Washington, DC: NCCD, May 11, 2010), 11,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100511_NCCD_Progress_Report_FINAL.pdf.

249 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Meeting Minutes of the November 10, 2009 Public

Meeting,” (Washington, DC: NCCD, November 10, 2009), 4-5,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/minutes/20091110_MinutesV02.pdf.

250 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, 37. 

251 Administration for Children and Families, “ESF-6 Disaster Response Recommendation to FEMA:

Reimbursement for Child Care Assistance,” (Washington, DC: HHS, 2007), 1.

252 CCDBG awards are allocated to States based on formulae required by statute. The program lacks the

authority to target funds to States affected by a disaster. Ibid., 1-3.

84 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Additional measures are also needed to support the rebuilding of child care infrastructure.

Restoration of child care services as quickly as possible is essential for children to resume a

safe and normal routine and for parents to resume working. Although FEMA clarified that

reimbursement for repairs may be available for nonprofit child care providers who fail to

qualify for SBA assistance, the majority of child care providers are private businesses, and

the Stafford Act does not provide reimbursement for the cost of rebuilding private, for-profit

facilities. Furthermore, many child care providers typically do not qualify for SBA disaster

loan assistance and lack the independent resources to rebuild and reopen after a disaster.

Following the series of hurricanes affecting the Gulf Coast (Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike,

and Gustav), only 46 percent of the child care providers who applied for SBA loans and

completed the review process were approved.253 The Commission heard similar accounts

when meeting with child care officials in Iowa, where it was reported that many child care

providers could not demonstrate the requisite ability to repay an SBA loan as many were

just breaking even before the flooding.254

The Commission recognizes the challenges associated with amending the Stafford Act to

provide reimbursement for damages to private businesses, including essential services such

as child care. In order to address the gap in available disaster assistance for for-profit child

care and the other aforementioned gaps in providing child care services and assistance for

families recovering from disasters, the Commission recommends that Congress authorize

the establishment of an emergency child care contingency fund. 

After a disaster, the contingency fund would provide reimbursement to State, tribal,

territorial, and local governments to support the following: 

• Restoration of Child Care Infrastructure: An emergency child care contingency fund

would provide much-needed grants to help rebuild private for-profit child care centers

that fail to qualify for other Federal assistance, in order to help restore affected

communities’ capacity to provide quality child care services.

• Temporary Child Care Services: FEMA has committed to reimburse State and local

governments for emergency child care services that coincide with the sheltering period

in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. However, additional support may be required

to bridge the gap between the end of the sheltering period and the time when

community providers are able to reopen in order to ensure access to quality child care

services and continuity of care. 

• Assistance to Affected Families for Child Care Services: An emergency child care

contingency fund would assist governments in meeting additional child care needs

resulting from an influx of displaced families from other affected communities, by

allowing States to subsidize child care services for affected families without depleting

CCDBG funds that are already committed to providing needed child care services to

working low-income families. 

253 Senator Mary Landrieu, Opening Statement of Chairman Landrieu before the U.S. Senate, “Children and

Disasters: A Progress Report on Addressing Needs,” 2.

254 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Summary Report: Field Visit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” 6

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 85
86 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

Finally, the Commission continues to recommend that child care be incorporated as an

essential service in the National Response Framework (NRF), the National Disaster Recovery

Framework (NDRF),255 the National Disaster Housing Concept of Operations (CONOPS), and

Disaster Housing Practitioners’ Guide. FEMA is in the process of updating the NRF, tentatively

scheduled for release in 2011, and has committed to incorporating children’s needs into this

revision.256 The NDRF, the National Disaster Housing CONOPS, and the Disaster Housing

Practitioners’ Guide were not finalized at the time of this report’s publication.

Recommendation 6.3: HHS should require disaster preparedness capabilities for Head 

Start Centers and basic disaster mental health training for staff.

The Head Start program has provided educational, health, nutritional, social, and other

services to preschool-age children and their families since its inception in 1965, serving

more than 27 million enrolled children.257 Administered by the HHS Office of Head Start

(OHS), the program awards grants to local public agencies, nonprofit and for-profit

organizations, tribes, and school systems to operate Head Start centers at the local level.258

In FY 2009, more than 900,000 children were enrolled in 49,200 Head Start classrooms.259

In the 2007 reauthorization of the Head Start Act,260 Congress required OHS to conduct an

evaluation of the emergency preparedness of Head Start and Early Head Start programs and

to make recommendations on how Head Start could improve its readiness for disasters.261

In accordance with the Act, OHS conducted a survey of Head Start centers nationwide to

determine the centers’ policies and plans for large-scale disasters.262 OHS also developed

and published a comprehensive guidance document, the Head Start Emergency

Preparedness Manual, which provides technical assistance to Head Start program 

255 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Comments: National Disaster Recovery Framework,”

(Washington, DC: NCCD, February 26, 2010), 1,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100224_NCCD_NDRFCommentsV04FINAL.pdf.

256 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Progress Report on Children and Disasters: U.S. Agencies

Take Modest Steps To Achieve Commission Goals,” 11.

257 Office of Head Start, “Head Start Program Fact Sheet,” Administration for Children and Families, U.S.

Department of Human Services,” http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs/about/fy2010.html. 

258 Ibid.

259 Ibid. 

260 Public Law (P.L.) 110-134.

261 “Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007,”

http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/Program%20Design%20and%20Management/Head%20Start%20Requirements/H

ead%20Start%20Act.

262 Office of Head Start, Head Start Emergency Preparedness Survey, ed. U.S. Department of Human Services

(Washington, DC: HHS, December 15, 2009), 1,

http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/Program%20Design%20and%20Management/Fiscal/Program%20Management/Ri

sk%20Management/ACF-PI-HS-09-09-A1.pdf. 
administrators and staff with respect to the creation and implementation of emergency

preparedness plans.263 As of the time of this report’s publication, OHS had not submitted

recommendations for improving Head Start preparedness to Congress as required by the Act.

OHS is revising regulations, including its mandatory performance standards for Head Start

Centers. The Commission recommends that the OHS’ revised performance standards for

Head Start centers incorporate emergency preparedness requirements, including:

• An all-hazards emergency preparedness plan developed in collaboration with

emergency management officials, reviewed and updated regularly, and shared with

parents and the community, and that includes:

o Plans for evacuating and relocating children and staff;

o Plans for shelter-in-place and lock-down;

o Plans to accommodate children with disabilities and chronic medical needs;

o Plans for reunifying children and families or caregivers; 

o Roles and responsibilities of staff;

o Emergency contact information for children and families, staff and volunteers, 

and key local, State and Federal partners, including emergency management; and

o Plans for communicating with families, caregivers, and community members 

before, during, and after emergencies. 

• Regular training for all staff members on the emergency preparedness plan, policies,

and procedures, and basic disaster mental health support. 

• Drills for evacuation, shelter-in-place, and lock-down.

• Plans for providing mental and behavioral health support to children after an

emergency or other crisis.

It is critical that young children affected by disasters receive adequate mental and

behavioral health support. Disasters expose young children to emotional trauma, which can

have profound negative effects on child development.264,265 As noted in other chapters of this 

263 Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Emergency Preparedness Manual, ed. U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services (Washington, DC: HHS, 2009),

http://headstartresourcecenter.org/assets/files/EPrep%20Manual%20v22.pdf. 

264 National Child Traumatic Stress Network, “Understanding Child Traumatic Stress,” U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services, http://www.nctsnet.org/nccts/nav.do?pid=ctr_aud_prnt_under#q13. 

265 Alan M. Delamater and E. Brooks Applegate, “Childhood Development and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

After Hurricane Exposure,” Traumatology 5, no. 3 (Miami, FL: Sage Publications, 1999): 20-27,

http://www.fsu.edu/~trauma/a3v5i3.html.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 87
report, the chronic shortage of pediatric mental health professionals coupled with limited

insurance reimbursement for mental and behavioral health services greatly diminishes the

capability to provide necessary mental health care to young children after a disaster.

Individuals who routinely interact with children, such as early education providers, should

be trained to provide basic support to promote adjustment and recovery, and identify

children who require more advanced care. 

The Commission recommends that Head Start’s revised performance standards incorporate

basic disaster mental health training requirements within existing training requirements for

Head Start staff. Head Start Centers are already required to employ or consult with a mental

health professional. The Commission recommends that the mental health professional

should also be trained in disaster mental health issues and interventions and have a

leadership role in the development and implementation of a disaster mental health training

program for staff. 

Training for staff should include: instruction on the impact of trauma and bereavement on

children; likely reactions; strategies for providing psychological first aid, brief supportive

services, and bereavement support; and indications for referral for additional mental health

services. Training would not only prove useful to Head Start staff in the aftermath of

disasters, but also on a day-to-day basis as children enrolled in Head Start programs face

higher than average stress levels and exposure to various types of trauma.266

266 Jane Knitzer and Jill Lefkowitz, Helping the Most Vulnerable Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families, ed. National

Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (New York, NY: NCCP,

January 2006), 13-15, http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_669.html. 

88 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 89

7. Elementary and Secondary Education 

Recommendation 7.1: Congress and Federal agencies should improve the preparedness

of schools and school districts by providing additional support to States.

Recommendation 7.2: Congress and ED should enhance the ability of school personnel

to support children who are traumatized, grieving, or otherwise recovering from a

disaster.

Recommendation 7.3: Ensure that school systems recovering from disasters are

provided immediate resources to reopen and restore the learning environment in a

timely manner and provide support for displaced students and their host schools.
90 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 91

Recommendation 7.1: Congress and Federal agencies should improve the preparedness of 

schools and school districts by providing additional support to States.

- Congress and ED should award disaster preparedness grants to State education

agencies to oversee, coordinate, and improve disaster planning, training, and exercises

statewide and ensure that all districts within the State meet certain baseline criteria. 

- DHS/FEMA should partner with ED to provide funding and other resources to support

disaster preparedness efforts of State and local education agencies, including

collaborative planning, training, and exercises with emergency management officials. 

In their lifetimes, children may spend more than 2,340 days in elementary and secondary

schools,267 making it imperative that schools and school districts are prepared to protect

children’s safety and manage the complicated, multifaceted issues that arise when disaster

strikes. Over 49 million students attended approximately 99,000 public elementary and

secondary schools in 13,900 school districts in 2009, with an additional 5.8 million

students enrolled in 33,700 private schools.268,269 Although many schools and school districts

have developed emergency management plans, many plans and preparedness activities are

not aligned with Federally-recommended practices.270 For example, a 2007 Government

Accountability Office (GAO) survey of a sample of public school districts revealed that

approximately 56 percent had no plans in place for continuing student education if schools

are closed for an extended period, and many of their plans did not include

accommodations for students with special needs.271

The Commission recommends that additional Federal and State support is needed to

improve the preparedness of schools and school districts and ensure that children are

properly protected before, during, and after disasters. Sixty-two percent of school officials

from surveyed school districts reported challenges to implementing emergency management

programs, including insufficient equipment, training, and staff with emergency planning 

267 This total is based on an average of 180 days per year, for 13 years. National Center for Education Statistics,

“Average length of school year and average length of school day, based on selected characteristics,”

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/tables/table_15.asp.

268 National Center for Education Statistics, “Fast Facts,” http://www.nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372. 

269 Ibid. 

270 The Departments of Education (ED), Homeland Security (DHS), and Health and Human Services (HHS) have

collaborated and developed recommended practices to assist in preparing for emergencies that can be applied to

school districts. For a list of selected recommended practices, see Table 2. U.S. Government Accountability Office,

Emergency Management: Status of School Districts’ Planning and Preparedness, GAO-07-821T, (Washington, DC:

GAO, 2007), 11, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07821t.pdf. 

271 Ibid., 15.

7. Elementary and Secondary Education 
expertise.272 While most school districts practice their emergency management plans

annually within the school community, the GAO estimates that “over one-quarter of school

districts with emergency management plans have never trained with first responders and

over two-thirds of school districts do not regularly (i.e., at least once a year) train with

community partners on how to implement their school plans.” 273 During the Commission’s

January 2010 field visit to Iowa, school officials in that State noted that school officials are

not required by State law to collaboratively plan with emergency management officials,

which results in differing levels of coordination in each county and school district.274

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools manages the

Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) program as a means to deliver

grant funding directly to school districts for preparedness and emergency management

initiatives and to provide technical assistance to districts. REMS provides discretionary,

competitive grants to an estimated 150 school districts per year, with an average award of

$253,000.275 REMS requires grantees to develop comprehensive emergency management

plans addressing all hazards, provide training for school personnel, and coordinate efforts

with State or local homeland security plans. As the Commission noted in its Interim Report,

REMS should receive continued support since it is a mechanism that can yield model

programs and test various cost- and time-effective approaches to improving school

preparedness. However, since 2003, the REMS program distributed 815 grants to Local

Education Agencies (LEAs), serving a small proportion of the 14,200 public school districts

nationwide.276

In its Interim Report, the Commission initially recommended the expansion of REMS toward

the goal of establishing a school disaster preparedness program with appropriate funding to

support a dedicated and sustained funding stream to all State Education Agencies (SEAs).277

The Commission envisioned SEAs taking a leadership role in improving, overseeing, and

coordinating disaster preparedness throughout the State. States would provide funding,

training, guidance, and technical assistance to LEAs to support a consistent level of

preparedness statewide. In response to queries from the Commission, ED indicated that it

would consider ways to adapt REMS to meet the desired role for SEAs, but noted that the 

272 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Emergency Management: Most School Districts Have Developed

Emergency Management Plans, but Would Benefit from Additional Federal Guidance, GAO-07-609, (Washington,

DC: GAO, 2007), 6, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07609.pdf.

273 Ibid., 21.

274 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Minutes: Field Visit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” (Washington,

DC: NCCD, 2010), 3,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100106_IowaFieldVisit_MinutesV03FINAL.pdf.

275 Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center, “REMS Grant Application,”

U.S. Department of Education, http://rems.ed.gov/index.php?page=REMS_Grant_Application. 

276 Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center, “REMS Grantees,” U.S.

Department of Education, http://rems.ed.gov/index.php?page=REMS_Grantees.

277 SEAs include tribal nations and territories. National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report,

(Washington, DC: NCCD, October 14, 2009), 41,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20091014_508IR_partII.pdf. 

92 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
current level of resources would be insufficient to provide sustained funding to all SEAs. In

addition, ED reported that new investments in elementary and secondary education should

be consistent with the goals and direction of the Administration.

The Commission maintains that the Nation’s students deserve to attend well-prepared

schools. However, in recognition of the current fiscal environment and trend toward

competitive funding to award innovation—as exemplified in the Administration’s Race to

the Top initiative and blueprint for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education

Act—the Commission recommends that competitive disaster preparedness grants be

awarded to States through the REMS program as an initial step toward developing

innovative models designed to ensure a higher level of school preparedness statewide. 

A competitive grant program would award funds to SEAs to develop statewide disaster

preparedness initiatives. These initiatives could establish preparedness criteria for schools

and school districts within the State that build on the REMS model, identify and propose

solutions to correct deficiencies, and provide training, guidance, technical assistance, and

funding to LEAs. In this manner, REMS funds could reach more school districts and establish

greater accountability, efficiency, and consistency within States. 

An overarching goal for the program could be the development of best practices and

statewide models that could be shared with and adopted by other States. A more specific

goal of this program could be to encourage collaboration between education and

emergency management officials in preparedness efforts, including planning, training, and

exercises throughout the State. 

In Chapter 1 of this report, the Commission recommends that ED and the Department of

Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) establish a

formal interagency agreement to pool resources to make funding, technical assistance,

training, and other resources available to support the disaster preparedness efforts of State

and local education agencies and schools. Although school districts are currently eligible

to receive certain DHS emergency preparedness funds, few States provide DHS funding to

school districts.278 An interagency program could ensure that DHS preparedness funds reach

schools and would promote collaborative planning, training, and exercises between

education and emergency management officials at the State and local levels.

278 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Emergency Management: Most School Districts Have Developed

Emergency Management Plans, but Would Benefit from Additional Federal Guidance, 14-15.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 93
Recommendation 7.2: Congress and ED should enhance the ability of school personnel 

to support children who are traumatized, grieving, or otherwise recovering from a 

disaster.

- Congress and ED should award funds to States to implement and evaluate training and

professional development programs in basic skills in providing support to grieving

students and students in crisis and establish statewide requirements related to teacher

certification and recertification.

Teachers, school administrators, and other school personnel should be trained to

understand the impact of trauma and loss on learning, and to provide basic supportive

services that will help students adjust to a disaster and its aftermath and will promote

academic achievement. Children can experience post-traumatic stress disorder,

bereavement, and other behavioral problems, such as increased aggression or delinquency,

after disasters.279 Common effects of crises on students include: school absenteeism; school

behavior problems, such as aggressive or unlawful behavior; academic failure; and

exacerbation of preexisting educational problems.280 On average, displaced students in

Louisiana public schools in the year following Hurricane Katrina performed worse in all

subjects and grades compared to other students, and experienced a variety of problems

related to attendance, mental health, behavior, and academic performance.281 Without

sufficient training, educators may not be aware that a student is having difficulty adjusting

or coping, and as a result, the student’s behaviors, learning patterns, or social interactions

may be misinterpreted or mislabeled.282

As noted in the Commission’s Interim Report, teachers and school administrators receive

little if any training around how to support children in the aftermath of a disaster to promote

adjustment and academic achievement.283 During the Commission’s January 2010 field visit

to Iowa, school officials reported that they were unprepared to recognize the warning signs

of depression, bereavement, or other behavioral and emotional issues in students following a

disaster.284 Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, school personnel revealed that the greatest

barriers to helping students following the storms were not being aware of the mental health

programs they should use and the shortage of trained staff to implement these programs.285

279 John F. Pane, Daniel F. McCaffrey, Nidhi Kalra, and Annie J. Zhou, “Effects of Student Displacement in

Louisiana During the First Academic Year After the Hurricanes of 2005,” Journal of Education for Students Placed at

Risk (JESPAR) 13(2), (2008):168-211, http://www.rand.org/pubs/reprints/2008/RAND_RP1379.pdf.

280 National Child Traumatic Stress Network, “The Effects of Trauma on Schools and Learning,”

http://www.nctsnet.org/nccts/nav.do?pid=ctr_aud_schl_effects. 

281 John F. Pane, Daniel F. McCaffrey, Nidhi Kalra, and Annie J. Zhou, “Effects of Student Displacement in

Louisiana During the First Academic Year After the Hurricanes of 2005,” 168-211.

282 Jenny Curtin, Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools: Reducing the Impact of Trauma as a Barrier to Student

Learning, ed. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (Deerfield, IL: ISTSS, 2008), 1,

http://www.istss.org/source/stresspoints/index.cfm?fuseaction=Newsletter.showThisIssue&Issue_ID=80&Article_ID=

1353.

283 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, 11. 

284 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Minutes: Field Visit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” 5.

285 Lisa H. Jaycox, Lindsey K. Morse, Terri Tanielian, and Bradley D. Stein, How Schools Can Help Students

Recover from Traumatic Experiences: A Tool Kit for Supporting Long-Term Recovery, (Santa Monica, CA: RAND,

2006), 9-10, http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2006/RAND_TR413.pdf.

94 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 95

The Commission recommends that funds be awarded to States to implement training and

professional development programs for teachers and school personnel that impart basic

skills in providing support to affected students, and to establish statewide training

requirements tied to professional certification and recertification. The Commission believes

that the most effective way to ensure that teachers and other school personnel receive the

basic training necessary to effectively teach and support children in crisis is to include such

training at the pre-service level as a condition of certification/licensure and at the in-service

level as a condition of recertification/license renewal. However, requirements for new

teacher certification and professional development fall predominately within the purview of

the States and ED lacks the authority to require disaster mental health training. The

Commission recommends that ED support a competitive grant program to incentivize the

implementation of State disaster mental health training programs, including requirements

for teacher certification and professional development. Grantees would be expected to

pilot and evaluate training materials and methods to develop an evidence base and best

practices that could serve as models for other States to adopt. 

Model training tools should be developed at the national level and made available free to

all States, whether or not the State is awarded funds, for the use of schools of education and

professional organizations. Training for teachers and school personnel on how to support

children following a disaster should impart basic skills and knowledge in the following

areas: the impact of trauma and bereavement on children and their learning; likely

reactions; strategies for providing psychological first aid, brief supportive services, and

bereavement support; and indications for referral for additional mental health services. 
Recommendation 7.3: Ensure that school systems recovering from disasters are 

provided immediate resources to reopen and restore the learning environment in a 

timely manner and provide support for displaced students and their host schools. 

- Congress should create a permanent funding mechanism to support recovery for

schools and students. 

- Congress should establish an emergency contingency fund within the Education for

Homeless Children and Youth program and expeditiously provide grants to school

districts serving an influx of displaced children.

- Congress and ED should support the immediate provision of expert technical 

assistance and consultation regarding services and interventions to address disaster

mental health needs of students and school personnel.

- DHS/FEMA, ED, and other Federal agencies should clarify, consolidate, and publicize

information related to the recovery programs, assistance, and services (e.g.,

transportation to schools) currently available to school systems through the Stafford 

Act and other Federal sources.

In the aftermath of a disaster, school systems must reopen and return to their normal

routines quickly in order to mitigate the traumatic effects of the event on students.286 Seven

months after Hurricane Katrina, only 20 out of 130 schools in the New Orleans Public

School system had reopened, with most buildings requiring decontamination due to

environmental hazards following the hurricane.287 Schools that were able to reopen faced

overcrowded classrooms, a reduction of teaching staff, and a lack of school books,

computers, teaching supplies, and musical and sports equipment.288

Under the Stafford Act, public and certain nonprofit private schools are eligible to receive

funding for the repair or replacement of buildings and their contents, including furnishings

and equipment, the temporary relocation of classrooms, debris removal assistance, and

emergency work to ensure access to the building and communication systems.289 However,

to support the recovery of students and restore a normal learning environment, affected

schools need a variety of assistance and services beyond repairing buildings and replacing

contents as provided through the Stafford Act. 

Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, there was a disparity between the assistance FEMA

provided and the needs of students, families, and communities affected by the storms.290

286 Ibid., 6. 

287 Representative George Miller, Democratic Proposals to Open and Rebuild Gulf Coast Schools and Colleges,

(Washington, DC: U.S. House of Representatives, April 2006), 3,

http://edlabor.house.gov/publications/katrinareport.pdf. 

288 Ibid., 3-4. 

289 Richard Apling, Paul Irwin, Ann Lordeman, Rebecca Skinner, and David Smole, “Education and Training

Issues Related to Major Disasters,” ed. Congressional Research Services (Washington, DC: CRS, November 4,

2005), 3, http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA441993&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf.

290 Representative George Miller, Democratic Proposals to Open and Rebuild Gulf Coast Schools and Colleges, 9.

96 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
In light of this gap and in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Congress passed the

Hurricane Education Recovery Act (HERA), a one-time emergency grant for the 2005-2006

school year providing funds for many important services to help restart school operations in

impacted areas in addition to providing instructional support for displaced students and

their host schools.291

Under HERA’s Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations program, funding was issued to

SEAs in Gulf States impacted by the storm through ED for the purchase of equipment,

supplies, books, and other services necessary to reopen schools and restore learning

environments, such as hiring additional staff for psychological, social, behavioral, nursing,

and counseling services for students and staff, and supporting expenses incurred to recruit

teachers and other school personnel. HERA also established the Emergency Impact Aid

Program, which supported instructional opportunities and support services for displaced

students and offset the costs incurred by host schools for educating the 372,000292 students

displaced as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. At the time, no mechanism was in

place to support these kinds of recovery programs for affected communities or receiving

districts and States, and the Act was not signed into law until three months after the

storms,293 forcing schools and school districts to await the needed assistance. Currently,

there is no permanent source of funding in place should such a disaster occur again, as

HERA provided a one-time authorization.

The Commission recommends that Congress authorize a permanent funding mechanism to

ensure that school systems recovering from disasters have access to assistance and services

needed to reopen and restore the learning environment in a timely manner and provide

support for displaced students and the schools that host them. In 2010, Senator Landrieu of

Louisiana introduced the Child Safety, Care, and Education Continuity Act, which would

reauthorize some of the programs that expired under HERA in addition to new measures

that strive to provide the services necessary to schools and students for a timely recovery

following a disaster.294 As Louisiana’s State Superintendent of Education testified at a hearing

held by the U.S. Senate Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery: “State[s], districts,

schools, and even, more importantly, students and their families, need to know that there is

a permanent and instantaneous funding source in place if their lives are disrupted by

tragedy ... If a permanent fund were to be established, it would accelerate financial support

to receiving districts and states and would provide instantaneous funding to help educators

and support displaced students who are in great need of high-quality services.”295

291 Public Law (P.L.) 109-148, “Hurricane Education Recovery Act of 2005,” CFDA 84.938,

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/secletter/051230Bill.pdf.

292 Ibid.

293 The law was signed on December 30, 2005. U.S. Department of Education, “Frequently Asked Questions,

Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students,” http://www.hurricanehelpforschools.gov/proginfo/faq-impact.pdf.

294 Government Printing Office, Bill S.2898, “Child Safety, Care and Education Continuity Act of 2010,”

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:s2898is.txt.pdf.

295 Paul Pastorek, Testimony of Paul Pastorek before the U.S. Senate Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery,

Washington, DC, December 10, 2009, 2-3,

http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=4e18d245-5b8d-46a8-a75a9d6bf606d1ba.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 97
Another mechanism through which the Federal Government can support the educational

needs of children displaced by disaster is the Education for Homeless Children and Youth

(EHCY) program, under the McKinney-Vento Act.296 Most students displaced by a disaster

may be considered “homeless” under the Act’s definition.297 Funds provided to school

districts through the EHCY program may be used to support displaced children and youth

through outreach and identification, enrollment assistance, transportation assistance, school

records transfers, immunization referrals, tutoring, counseling, school supplies, assessment,

case management, professional development for educators, and referrals for community

services. However, the current statutory formula for allocating EHCY dollars does not

provide a mechanism for immediately providing assistance in times of disaster.298

Moreover, only 11 percent of all school districts receive EHCY funding.299

The Commission recommends that Congress authorize the creation of an EHCY emergency

contingency fund, from which grants to cover needed educational support services could be

expeditiously targeted to school districts serving an influx of displaced children. There have

been two supplemental McKinney-Vento appropriations in response to recent disasters: one

in response to the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes and the other in response to the 2008

Midwest floods and Hurricane Ike. In both instances, appropriations arrived well after the

disasters.300 Authorization for a permanent contingency fund would provide a mechanism for 

296 P.L. 107-110; 42 U.S.C. §11431 et. seq (2001). Title X, Part C of the No Child Left Behind Act. 

297 Section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Act defines “homeless children and youth” as individuals who lack a

fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including children and youth who: share the housing of other

persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; live in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or

camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations; live in emergency or transitional shelters;

live in abandoned in hospitals; await foster care placement; have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or

private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; live in

cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

are migratory children (as defined in section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as

amended). P.L. 100-77 (1987), http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg116.html#sec725. 

298 EHCY funds are allocated to SEAs based on annual poverty data and do not reach school districts until the

following academic year. U.S. Department of Education, “Education for Homeless Children and Youths Grants for

State and Local Activities,” http://www2.ed.gov/programs/homeless/index.html; U.S. Department of Education,

“Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies (Title I, Part A),”

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/index.html. 

299 National Center for Homeless Education, Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program, Data

Collection Summary, (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, June 2010), 3, http://center.serve.org/nche/.

300 Section 106 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for 2006, released on December 30, 2005,

provided assistance for homeless youth following the hurricanes in the Gulf Coast in accordance with Section 723

of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. P.L. 109-148, 119 Statute 2797 (2005).

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ148.pdf.

Additionally, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2009, released September 30, 2008, provided an additional

$15 million to remain available through September 2009 for LEAs whose homeless student enrollment had

increased due to “hurricanes, floods, or other natural disasters occurring during 2008 for which the President

declared a major disaster under title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of

1974.” P.L. 110-329, 122 Statute 3595 (2009), http://www.usace.army.mil/CECW/Documents/cecwm/cra/pl_110-

329.pdf.

98 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
supporting needed services for displaced students in an expeditious manner. School districts

in Texas that received an influx of students following Hurricane Katrina testified that the

presence of a strong McKinney-Vento program was critical in enabling schools to manage

new students, including seamlessly integrating students with and without educational

records into their systems, particularly students residing in shelters and motels.301

In addition, a crucial aspect of restoring a normal learning environment following a disaster

involves ensuring that students and school personnel receive mental and behavioral health

support to mitigate the disaster’s affects on academic achievement. Following a disaster,

schools should be provided technical assistance and consultation by subject matter experts

on developing a recovery plan to promote student adjustment. The Project School

Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) program provides these and other mental-health

related services for schools following a traumatic or violent event such as a school shooting

or suicide; however, Presidentially declared disasters are not eligible events.302

The Commission recommends that Congress and ED provide sufficient funds to support the

immediate provision of expert technical assistance and consultation regarding services and

interventions to address disaster mental health needs of students and school personnel,

including bereavement, reactions to trauma, and other adjustment difficulties that are likely

after a disaster. Such consultation and technical assistance should be proactively offered

(but not required) at no cost to the school and with no requirement for application.

Additional services should include just-in-time training on bereavement support,

psychological first aid, brief supportive services, and guidelines on referral for mental health

services; provision of guidance materials; information on other resources, services, and

potential funding opportunities to address longer-term or ongoing needs; and linkage to

relevant professional organizations, agencies, and programs. ED should establish

agreements with entities that focus on providing mental health consultation services to

schools and have the capability to deliver such services in a timely manner. 

Finally, the Commission recommends that FEMA, ED, and other Federal agencies should

clarify, consolidate, and publicize information related to the recovery programs, assistance,

and services currently available to school systems through the Stafford Act and other Federal

301 National Center for Homeless Education, In Their Own Words: Schools and Students Overcoming Adversity,

ed. U.S. Department of Education (Washington, DC: ED, 2007), http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/itow.pdf. 

302 Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, “Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) Frequency

Asked Questions,” http://www2.ed.gov/programs/dvppserv/faq.html#event.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 99
sources.303 Without comprehensive information on available programs and reimbursable

expenses, school systems may be unable to take advantage of useful recovery resources. For

example, FEMA should clarify its ability to provide reimbursement for school transportation

expenses. FEMA’s ability to cover such expenses is not documented in guidance or

communicated clearly through Regional Offices to affected States or communities. During

the Commission’s January 2010 field visit to Iowa, school officials were informed by a

FEMA official that FEMA can, in certain instances, reimburse school districts for additional

costs associated with transporting displaced students to their schools of origin. However,

school and emergency management officials were previously unaware of this, and thus

failed to request such reimbursement from FEMA.304

303 The National Disaster Recovery Framework should state the importance of providing this information to

school systems.

304 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Minutes: Field Visit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” 4.

100 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 101

8. Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

Recommendation 8.1: Ensure that State and local child welfare agencies adequately

prepare for disasters.

Recommendation 8.2: Ensure that State and local juvenile justice agencies and all

residential treatment, correctional, and detention facilities that house children

adequately prepare for disasters.

Recommendation 8.3: HHS and DOJ should ensure that juvenile, dependency, and

other courts hearing matters involving children adequately prepare for disasters.
102 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 103

Recommendation 8.1: Ensure that State and local child welfare agencies adequately 

prepare for disasters.

- Congress should request a national assessment of child welfare disaster planning to

determine if significant advances have been made since passage of the Child and

Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 (CFSIA). 

- HHS should develop detailed disaster planning criteria by regulation or other formal

policy guidance to supplement the basic procedures mandated in CFSIA.

- Within each ACF regional office, child welfare staff and the region’s emergency

management specialist should collaboratively review and evaluate the State child

welfare disaster plans required by CFSIA and assist States in developing comprehensive

plans and meeting their statutory obligations.

- DHS/FEMA and HHS should provide funding, guidance, and technical assistance to

child welfare agencies and encourage collaboration with emergency management,

courts, and other key stakeholders.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita severely disrupted child welfare services, including forcing the

evacuation of children in Louisiana’s foster care system to 19 different States.305 The

Government Accountability Office (GAO) subsequently conducted a survey of national

foster care disaster planning to evaluate State planning capacity, and found that only three

States had comprehensive child welfare plans that addressed all nine components of

disaster planning identified by the GAO.306 Twenty States and the District of Columbia

indicated that they had written child welfare disaster plans, but the quality of these plans

varied widely, including the extent to which the plans include identification of dispersed

children. Two months later, Congress passed the Child and Family Services Improvement

Act (CFSIA),307 which included certain basic minimum disaster planning requirements for

State child welfare agencies and required States to submit plans to the Department of

Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) by

September 28, 2007. The law required State child welfare agencies to have procedures in

place to respond to a disaster, “in accordance with criteria established by the [HHS]

Secretary which should include how a State would:

a. Identify, locate, and continue availability of services for children under State care or

supervision who are displaced or adversely affected by a disaster;

305 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Child Welfare: Federal Action Needed to Ensure States Have Plans to

Safeguard Children in the Child Welfare System Displaced by Disasters, GAO-06-944, (Washington, DC: GAO,

2006), 1, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06944.pdf.

306 The survey covered all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The nine State plan components,

as specified in the 2006 GAO report, are: identify children who may be dispersed; identify caseworkers who may

be dispersed; continue services to children who may be dispersed; preserve essential case information; coordinate

services within the State; coordinate services outside the State; place children from other States; provide in-home

family services; and identify new child welfare cases. Ibid., 20.

307 Public Law (P.L.) 109-288; 120 Stat. 1233 (2006).

8. Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice
b. Respond to new child welfare cases in areas adversely affected by a disaster and

provide services;

c. Remain in communication with caseworkers and other essential child welfare

personnel who are displaced because of a disaster;

d. Preserve essential program records; and

e. Coordinate services and share information with other States.”308

Additional measures may be required to ensure that child welfare agencies are adequately

prepared for disasters, as many States still have not engaged in comprehensive planning

efforts. Although the Children’s Bureau (CB) within ACF published an updated guidance

document in 2007, detailed planning criteria to supplement the basic broad areas

enumerated in the Act have not been issued in regulation by the HHS Secretary. A 2008

review of State child welfare plans by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court

Judges (NCJFCJ) found that State plans often contained only general statements addressing

the five broad areas of planning required by the CFSIA. The plans reviewed also generally

did not include directives concerning how information would be shared with the courts that

make vital decisions affecting the lives of children and families in the child welfare

system.309

The Commission recommends that Congress request a national assessment of child welfare

disaster planning to determine if significant advances have been made since passage of the

CFSIA. CB should conduct this assessment, or as an alternative, Congress may direct the

GAO to follow up on its 2006 report.310

Also, the Commission recommends that Congress require ACF and CB to develop a plan to

ensure that all States prepare for disasters in a manner that is consistent with the intent of

Congress as expressed in CFSIA. First, CB should develop detailed disaster planning criteria

in a regulation or other formal policy guidance to supplement the basic procedures

mandated in CFSIA.311 This would establish clear standards to help guide States’ planning

efforts and enable HHS to improve enforcement of the law by conducting a more exacting

review to determine whether States are meeting their statutory obligations. 

The Commission also recommends that the emergency management specialist in each ACF

regional office participate in reviewing and evaluating the State child welfare disaster plans

required by CFSIA, and in assisting States in developing comprehensive plans and meeting

their statutory obligations. HHS, in its response to the Commission’s request for information

308 P.L. 109-288; 120 Stat. 1233 (2006).

309 Lisa Portune and Sophia I. Gatowski, Ensuring the Unique Needs of Dependency Courts are Met in Disaster

Planning Efforts: Dependency Court Planning Templates for Continuity of Operations Plans, (Reno, NV: National

Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and American Bar Association, 2008), 67,

http://www.ncjfcj.org/images/stories/dept/ppcd/pdf/katrina%20ta%20brief%20final.pdf.

310 United States Government Accountability Office, Child Welfare: Federal Action Needed to Ensure States

Have Plans to Safeguard Children in the Child Welfare System Displaced by Disasters, GAO-06-944, 1.

311 Although CB published an updated guidance document in 2007, no additional specific planning criteria

were promulgated in regulation by the HHS Secretary.

104 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
on progress in implementing the Commission’s Interim Report recommendations, reported

that ACF regional office liaisons review these plans and can offer support to States in

developing revisions or, if necessary, refer them to the Children’s Bureau Training and

Technical Assistance Network. It is important that individuals with emergency management

and child welfare expertise participate in the review of State plans and provide technical

assistance to States as needed. 

Finally, State and local child welfare agencies should be encouraged by CB, in collaboration

with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA), to prepare in ways beyond the minimal requirements enumerated in CFSIA, by: 

• Conducting regular staff training and exercises of the plan.

• Coordinating with emergency management in formulating child welfare plans, and in

integrating child welfare planning and exercises with other local and State planning

and exercises.

• Collaborating with courts and other key stakeholders within the child welfare arena in

planning and exercises.

• Developing a plan to provide additional services to address the emotional impact of

disasters on children in the child welfare system. 

• Requiring emergency planning for foster families, kinship care providers, and

residential and group care facilities.

• Implementing the State plan at the local levels and integrating local plans into the State

plan. 

To encourage such State and local child welfare disaster planning efforts, in Chapter 1 of

this report the Commission recommends that DHS/FEMA and ACF form a formal

interagency partnership to pool resources to make funding, technical assistance, and other

support available. Such resources should be used to support comprehensive and innovative

preparedness initiatives; develop best practices; and facilitate collaborative planning,

training, and exercises at the State and local level between child welfare and emergency

management officials. 

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 105
Recommendation 8.2: Ensure that State and local juvenile justice agencies and all 

residential treatment, correctional, and detention facilities that house children 

adequately prepare for disasters.

- Congress should require State and local juvenile justice agencies and all residential

treatment, correctional, and detention facilities that house children to have

comprehensive disaster plans in place.

- DHS/FEMA and DOJ should support disaster planning for State and local juvenile

justice agencies and residential treatment, correctional, and detention facilities that

house children, by providing funding, technical assistance, and training.

In 2007, more than 1.6 million delinquency cases were processed nationwide resulting in

149,000 youth being placed out of their home.312 In August 2005, prior to the arrival of

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, approximately 16,000 children were under the care or

supervision of the juvenile justice systems in the impacted Gulf Coast States.313 The

experiences of some of these children demonstrate the importance of effectively

implementing coordinated system-wide juvenile justice disaster plans.314,315 For example,

while State-run juvenile facilities in New Orleans safely evacuated youth to Baton Rouge in

advance of Hurricane Katrina, the last-minute evacuation of a city-run juvenile facility to

the predominately adult-populated Orleans Parish Prison left some children trapped for days

without food, water, or medical care.316

A 2006 report funded by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Protection (OJJDP) emphasized the importance of multi-agency collaborations

in disaster planning, including involving Federal, State, and local agencies and communitybased organizations.317 The report noted that detention and correctional facilities that had

undertaken these efforts were better positioned following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to

make the difficult decisions that affected the safety of youth under their care.318

312 Charles Puzzanchera, Benjamin Adams, and Melissa Sickmund, Juvenile Court Statistics 2006-2007, ed.

National Center for Juvenile Justice (Pittsburgh, PA: NCJJ, 2010), 9, 50,

http://www.ncjjservehttp.org/ncjjwebsite/pdf/jcsreports/jcs2007.pdf. 

313 Susan James Andrews and Susan Yeres, An Assessment of the Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the

Juvenile Justice System, ed. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (Washington, DC: OJJDP, 2006),

3, http://gemini.gmu.edu/ebct/Events/Katrina%20final%20report.pdf.

314 Ibid., 7.

315 Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana (JJPL), Treated Like Trash: Juvenile Detention in New Orleans Before,

During, and After Hurricane Katrina, (New Orleans, LA: JJPL, 2006), 10-11,

http://www.jjpl.org/PDF/treated_like_trash.pdf.

316 Ibid., 5. 

317 Susan James Andrews and Susan Yeres, An Assessment of the Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the

Juvenile Justice System, 4.

318 Ibid., 3.

106 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
The Commission recommends that all State and local juvenile justice agencies and

facilities–including all residential treatment, correctional, and detention facilities that house

children, as well as private facilities that manage youth treatment programs–have

comprehensive disaster plans in place. Although a baseline level of disaster planning is

required for State child welfare agencies, Federal law does not require juvenile justice

systems to develop and implement disaster plans. While a Federal requirement is advisable,

the Commission is currently working with OJJDP on incentives for action. 

The overarching goal of juvenile justice disaster planning must be to protect the physical

safety and emotional well-being of children in the State’s care before, during, and after a

disaster. Critical services must be maintained (e.g., education, health, mental health,

substance abuse, probation, and case processing) for all children in the system, whether in

care or under supervision. Plans should be coordinated with other jurisdictions and entities

within the juvenile system, including courts and probation services, and with key external

stakeholders such as emergency management officials and community-based organizations.

State juvenile justice agencies should oversee and coordinate system-wide disaster planning

and certify that all local agencies and facilities that house juveniles within the State

adequately prepare for disasters. 

To help inform the development of juvenile justice disaster planning, the Commission

recommended in its Interim Report that OJJDP conduct an assessment of disaster

preparedness among State and local juvenile justice systems.319 OJJDP subsequently

requested disaster plans from the State agencies that receive its formula grant funds. Fifteen

grantees responded and OJJDP found that the submitted plans were predominantly intended

for basic continuity of operations, rather than comprehensive disaster preparedness,

response and recovery.320

The Commission also recommended in its Interim Report that OJJDP form a working group

with the mission of improving juvenile justice disaster preparedness nationwide.321 OJJDP

established the Justice Working Group on Children and Disasters, whose initial goal is to

create a document with guiding principles to assist juvenile justice facilities in developing

disaster plans.322

319 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, (Washington, DC: NCCD, October 14,

2009), 49-50, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20091014_508IR_partII.pdf.

320 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Progress Report on Children and Disasters: U.S. Agencies

Take Modest Steps To Achieve Commission Goals,” (Washington, DC: NCCD, May 11, 2010), 14,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100511_NCCD_Progress_Report_FINAL.pdf.

321 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, 50.

322 The Working Group includes members from relevant Federal, State, and local agencies and nongovernmental entities with expertise in managing and providing services within juvenile justice systems and the

courts, as well as members with disaster management experience. The document is scheduled to be released in

January 2011.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 107
The Commission supports these initial steps, but believes that substantially more support—

beyond the development and dissemination of a guidance document for facilities—is

needed to adequately assist State and local agencies and facilities in preparing for disasters.

Specifically, the Commission recommends OJJDP lead an effort to: 

• Identify common gaps and shortcomings, as well as best practices, in State juvenile

justice disaster planning.

• Develop a technical assistance and training program – that covers the full spectrum of

disaster planning and management, including basic disaster preparedness and disaster

mental health training for staff at juvenile justice facilities–and make it available to

States.

• Support State and local juvenile justice systems in developing or updating disaster

plans in coordination with State emergency management and key stakeholders

including juvenile courts, residential treatment facilities, and correctional and

detention facilities that house juveniles via court-ordered placements and social

services agencies.

To help accomplish these objectives, OJJDP should consider creating a demonstration

program that awards disaster planning grants to States through a competitive process. This

approach could support and highlight successful planning models in specific States, which

would in turn facilitate the development of best practices, and provide models to assist

other States in improving their disaster plans. 

In recognition of OJJDP’s limited resources and disaster management expertise, the

Commission, in Chapter 1 of this report, recommends that DHS/FEMA and DOJ form a

formal interagency partnership. This partnership would pool resources to make funding,

technical assistance, and other support available to enhance the disaster preparedness,

response, and recovery efforts of State and local juvenile justice systems and facilities. This

collaboration would help OJJDP accomplish the objectives outlined above and promote

collaborative planning, training, and exercises at the State and local level.

Ultimately, the Commission recommends that Congress enact a requirement for

comprehensive disaster planning among juvenile justice facilities and agencies throughout

the Nation. To the extent practicable, legislation would incorporate the guiding principles

for effective disaster planning developed by the Justice Working Group on Children and

Disasters. As part of this requirement, Congress should appropriate adequate funding to

support Federal and non-Federal planning and other preparedness activities. 

.

108 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Recommendation 8.3: HHS and DOJ should ensure that juvenile, dependency, and 

other courts hearing matters involving children adequately prepare for disasters.

- HHS should include disaster preparedness as a component of the Court Improvement

Program for dependency courts. 

- DOJ should include disaster preparedness as a component of the proposed National

Juvenile Delinquency Court Improvement Program. 

- DOJ and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges should incorporate

disaster preparedness into the Model Courts program. 

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita demonstrated that courts with primary responsibility for cases

involving children and youth need comprehensive disaster plans.323,324 In some areas of the

Gulf, critical decisions involving the release, confinement, or movement of youth could not

be made because judges could not be contacted, and backup plans were not in place.325

Decision making was further disrupted as some courts lost all their records, including

backup records that were kept on-site.326 Courts, child welfare and juvenile justice

professionals, and advocates lacked a systematic means to share information or coordinate

essential activities. Courts and agencies struggled to locate children and foster and

biological families, provide critical services and supports, and ensure appropriate oversight

of cases. More recently, the Commission learned during its field visit to Iowa that during

Iowa’s 2008 floods and tornadoes, the Juvenile Court in Cedar Rapids lost all of its court

records, necessitating a lengthy and arduous attempt at reconstructing the files from

multiple sources.327

The Commission recommends that juvenile, dependency, and other courts hearing matters

involving children must develop comprehensive plans that facilitate communication,

coordination, and oversight of dependency and delinquency cases in times of disaster. In

developing these plans, courts should collaborate with child welfare agencies, juvenile

justice agencies and facilities, social workers, attorneys and other child advocates,

volunteers, emergency management officials, and other community and professional

stakeholders. In addition, since courts hearing cases involving children and youth are part

of a larger court system, it is critical that planning efforts also be coordinated with the

broader court system. Once the plans are developed, the courts should conduct regular

disaster exercises involving these stakeholders. 

323 Lisa Portune and Sophia Gatowski, Ensuring the Unique Needs of Dependency Courts are Met in Disaster

Planning Efforts: Dependency Court Planning Templates for Continuity of Operations Plans, 2.

324 Victor E. Flango (ed.), Emergency Preparedness in Dependency Courts: Ten Questions That Courts Serving

Abused and Neglected Children Must Address, (Williamsburg, VA: National Center for State Courts): Chapter 1,

http://www.icmeducation.org/katrina/chapter1.html.

325 Susan Andrews and Susan Yeres, An Assessment of the Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Juvenile

Justice System, 11.

326 Ibid.

327 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Minutes: Field Visit, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” (Washington,

DC: NCCD, 2010), 10,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100106_IowaFieldVisit_MinutesV03FINAL.pdf.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 109
Toward the goal of ensuring that juvenile and dependency courts have comprehensive

disaster plans, the Commission recommends that CB clarify that funds from their Court

Improvement Program (CIP) can be used by dependency courts and child welfare agencies

to engage in collaborative disaster planning activities. The funds could improve the handling

of cases and care for children who are in or may enter the child welfare system in times of

disaster. All States receive CIP funding to conduct a variety of activities that promote system

improvements within dependency courts and child welfare systems. These activities include

creating and enhancing formal relationships between the courts and child welfare agencies.

Responding to an appeal from the Commission to focus greater attention on disaster

planning and collaborations among dependency courts and child welfare systems, CB

indicated to its grantees that collaboration between dependency courts and child welfare

systems in disaster planning constitutes the “meaningful and ongoing collaboration” that the

CIP requires.328 However, more formal clarification, such as an addition to the program

instruction should be issued to grantees. 

The Fiscal Year 2011 budget request for OJJDP includes funding for a proposed National

Juvenile Delinquency Court Improvement Program. If the program is approved by Congress,

OJJDP should similarly include in the program instruction that collaborative disaster

planning activities undertaken by delinquency courts and juvenile justice agencies and

facilities also constitute eligible uses of program funds. In addition, OJJDP and CB

shouldexplore other possible ways to improve disaster preparedness in juvenile delinquency

and dependency courts, and encourage collaborative disaster planning between courts and

juvenile justice and child welfare agencies. 

Finally, the Commission recommends that disaster preparedness be incorporated into the

NCJFCJ’s Model Courts Program, an OJJDP-funded program that seeks to improve outcomes

for abused and neglected children and their families by funding innovative court programs.

The Commission believes that through the Model Courts program, OJJDP and NCJFCJ can

lead the way in disaster preparedness for courts by raising awareness and developing best

practices for other courts around the Nation to emulate. 

328 Emily Cooke, Special Assistant for Court Improvement, Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and

Families, Email Message to Court Improvement Program Coordinators, February 19, 2010. 

110 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 111

10. Housing

9. Sheltering Standards, Services, and Supplies

Recommendation 9.1: Government agencies and non-governmental organizations

should provide a safe and secure mass care shelter environment for children, including

access to essential services and supplies.
112 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 113

Recommendation 9.1: Government agencies and non-governmental organizations 

should provide a safe and secure mass care shelter environment for children, including 

access to essential services and supplies.

- Implement national standards and indicators for mass care shelters that are specific

and responsive to children.

- Integrate essential age-appropriate shelter supplies for infants and children into shelter

planning and fund the addition of child-specific supplies to caches for immediate

deployment to support shelter operations.

- Implement common standards and training, including standards for criminal

background checks, to mitigate risks unique to children in shelters such as child

abduction and sex offenders.

During disasters, children and families must be assured a safe and secure shelter

environment. Shelters are operated by the American Red Cross (ARC), other National

Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) member organizations, faith-based

organizations, and State and local governments under agreed upon standards and protocols.

While the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) does not operate shelters or

have the authority to enforce shelter standards, FEMA does provide guidance and

reimbursement for eligible sheltering expenses under the Stafford Act. 

In its Interim Report, the Commission determined that a more comprehensive body of

information was needed to inform emergency planners, shelter managers, and staff about

the needs of children in critical areas related to shelter design, supplies, and safety.329 The

ARC worked with the Commission, FEMA, and other partners to develop guidance for

shelter managers and staff. The guidance document, Standards and Indicators for Disaster

Shelter Care for Children,

330 was distributed to ARC chapters and adopted by the NVOAD

Mass Care Committee in 2009.331,332

Disaster shelters that opened during the September 2009 floods in Georgia demonstrated an

increased awareness of the need to have child-appropriate supplies and expertise on

hand.333 The spring 2010 flooding in Nashville, TN provided another opportunity to test the

standards and indicators. Following visits to ARC shelters, the Commission noted that some

329 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, (Washington, DC: NCCD, October 14,

2009), 53, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20091014_508IR_partII.pdf.

330 Ibid., 70.

331 American Red Cross, Testimony of Trevor Riggen, American Red Cross before the U.S. House of

Representatives, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Economic Development,

Public Buildings and Emergency Management, (Washington, DC: ARC, October 20, 2009), 4,

http://www.redcross.org/www-files/Documents/GovernmentRelations/09Oct20RiggenTestimony.pdf.

332 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Meeting Minutes of the Evacuation, Transportation, and

Housing Subcommittee,” (Washington, DC: NCCD, May 10, 2010), 4,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/NCCD%20Subcommittees/20100510_ETHSubcommitteeReportFINAL.pdf.

333 American Red Cross, “Testimony of Trevor Riggen,” 4. 

9. Sheltering Standards, Services, and Supplies
revisions to the standards were needed, particularly to address the need for folding, portable

cribs and playpens in shelters.334 An updated version of Standards and Indicators for Disaster

Shelter Care for Children is included in Appendix E. 

The Commission also collaborated with ARC, FEMA, the American Academy of Pediatrics,

and Save the Children to develop a list of age-appropriate shelter supplies for infants and

toddlers (Appendix F). The document provides guidance to shelter managers and staff on

essential shelter supplies for children (e.g., formula, diapers, and baby food). FEMA

incorporated the shelter supply list into preparedness grants guidance and other internal

planning documents and indicated that the supplies are cost-reimbursable.335 In addition,

FEMA identified the best methods for Federal responders to rapidly distribute these items to

an affected area if requested.336 Such actions include entering into purchasing agreements

with vendors to have these supplies ready for express shipment in the event of an

incident.337 FEMA used the document as a guide for procuring supplies for evacuees waiting

to depart Port Au Prince Airport following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.338

Currently, elements of both guidance documents are being considered for incorporation

into other shelter planning and assessment tools developed by FEMA, the Department of

Health and Human Services (HHS), ARC, and other Federal and non-Federal partners. In

addition, FEMA has a Pre-Scripted Statement of Work with the HHS Administration for

Children and Families to conduct human services shelter assessments. The assessments were

modified to include components of the shelter standards and indicators guidance, and the

assessment teams will provide assistance to shelter operators in meeting the needs of

children. 

A corollary concern is the collection of information on the number of children in shelters,

which normally is not available because most shelter registration forms do not include age

categories. Additionally, shelter operators generally use a “midnight head count on pillows”

method to count individuals, which does not consider age or people who use shelter 

334 Commissioner Bruce Lockwood visited two shelters that were established in response to the flooding and

observed that one had three infants, but no cribs, indicating that the standards do not address the need for childspecific beds. ARC also noted that this incident demonstrated a need for local chapters to have agreements in

place with local vendors to obtain necessary supplies in case shipping issues arise, which occurred when the local

FedEx facility flooded. National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Meeting Minutes of the Evacuation,

Transportation, and Housing Subcommittee,” 4. 

335 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Fiscal Year 2010 Homeland Security Grant Program Supplemental

Resource: Children in Disasters Guidance, (Washington, DC: DHS, June 2009), 2,

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/government/grant/2010/fy10_hsgp_children.pdf. 

336 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Meeting Minutes of the November 10, 2009 Public

Meeting, (Washington, DC: NCCD, November 10, 2009), 4-5,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/minutes/20091110_MinutesV02.pdf. 

337 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Evacuation, Transportation, and Housing Subcommittee,

Conference Call, March 11, 2010.

338 Federal Emergency Management Agency, Memorandum to the National Commission on Children and

Disasters: Response to the National Commission on Children and Disasters Interim Report, March 19, 2010, 19,

Washington, DC.

114 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
services but do not reside in shelters overnight. Data collection on children and families in

shelters would improve shelter resource management and delivery of necessary services to

shelter populations. In response to the Commission’s concerns about the lack of data

collection on children in shelters, FEMA’s National Shelter System will be modified to

capture information on the number of children within specific age brackets,339 thus greatly

improving the system’s ability to support the needs of children and families. These age

breakouts are anticipated to be included in all shelter guidance documents under

development.

The safety and security of children in shelters is of paramount concern to the Commission.

The Interim Report therefore included a recommendation that protocols be established that

will ensure children are protected against the threat of neglect, abduction, and sex

offenders.340 At a minimum, all shelter workers should be trained to identify and address

suspicious and inappropriate activity. Available resources include the National Resource

Center for Child Protective Services’ curriculum and trainer’s guide Preventing Child Abuse

and Neglect in Disaster Emergency Shelters.

341 FEMA also is developing health and safety

educational materials for parents and families to better safeguard their children in a shelter

environment. Safety and security may also be enhanced by conducting appropriate criminal

history background checks on all shelter workers. Most NVOAD members have systems in

place for performing background checks on their volunteers, but there are no consistent

policies or guidelines. The Commission urges the NVOAD to develop points of consensus

and cooperative standards for performing background checks, particularly for volunteers

who provide care to children in shelters. 

339 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Progress Report on Children and Disasters: U.S. Agencies

Take Modest Steps to Achieve Commission Goals,” (Washington, DC: NCCD, May 11, 2010), 15,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100511_NCCD_Progress_Report_FINAL.pdf. 

340 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, 53.

341 National Resource Center for Child Protective Services, “Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect in Disaster

Emergency Shelters,” http://www.nrccps.org/resources/disaster_emergency_shelters.php.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 115

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 117

10. Housing

Recommendation 10.1: Prioritize the needs of families with children, especially

families with children who have disabilities or chronic health, mental health, or

educational needs, within disaster housing assistance programs.
118 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 119

Recommendation 10.1: Prioritize the needs of families with children, especially 

families with children who have disabilities or chronic health, mental health, or 

educational needs, within disaster housing assistance programs.

- Government agencies and non-governmental organizations should ensure that families

with children in disaster housing, especially community sites, have access to needed

services and are provided safe and healthy living environments. 

- Congress should authorize DHS/FEMA to reimburse State and local governments for

providing wrap-around services to children and families in community sites.

- DHS/FEMA should develop clear written guidance around emergency transportation

planning and reimbursement for State and local governments that addresses the

recovery needs of children and families.

- Government agencies and non-governmental organizations should identify and

promote innovative programs to expedite the transition into permanent housing for

families with children. 

The Federal Government and its State and local partners must address the unique housing

and community needs of families with children in planning and throughout the continuum

of disaster housing assistance, from emergency sheltering to interim housing to permanent

housing.342 Interim and permanent housing options must provide families with children

access to stable, affordable, and safe housing in close proximity to schools, child care, and

health and social services, which are critical for a family’s recovery following a disaster. To

minimize harmful disruptions to children’s lives, the transition from interim to permanent

housing also must be prompt and seamless.

Children may suffer emotional stress from having to move to unfamiliar locations or when

they are disconnected from their traditional support networks.343 Following a move that

results in a change in schools, children commonly require between four and six months for

academic recovery.344 Children displaced following Hurricane Katrina moved an average of

three times per child.345 A study of displaced students attending Louisiana Public Schools

during the first academic year following the hurricane found that negative achievement 

342 Interim housing is defined as the intermediate period of housing assistance that covers the gap between

sheltering and the return of disaster survivors to permanent housing. Generally, this period may span from the day

after the disaster is declared through up to 18 months. Long-term housing is defined as safe, sanitary, and secure

housing that can be sustained without continued disaster-related assistance. Federal Emergency Management

Agency, “Glossary/Acronyms,” http://www.fema.gov/emergency/disasterhousing/glossary.shtm.

343 Lori Peek, “Children and Disasters: Understanding Vulnerability, Developing Capacities, and Promoting

Resilience - An Introduction,” Children, Youth and Environment 18, no. 1 (2008): 4-7.

344 Laurene M. Heyback and Patricia Nix-Hodes, “Reducing Mobility: Good for Kids, Good for Schools,” The

Beam: The Newsletter for the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth 9, no. 1

(1999): 5.

345 Anne Westbrook Lauten and Kimberly Leitz, “A Look at the Standards Gap: Comparing Child Protection

Responses in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean Tsunami,” Children, Youth and

Environments 18, no. 1 (2008): 187.

10. Housing
effects were correlated with the number of schools attended and were most significant

among children who were displaced for the remainder of the academic year.346

The Commission urges State and local governments to prioritize families with children,

especially families with children who have disabilities or chronic health, mental health, or

educational needs, for disaster housing that meets their housing and community needs.

Although the Stafford Act prevents the prioritization of any population for Federal

assistance,347 according to the National Disaster Housing Strategy348 (the “Strategy”), State

and local governments, through State-led housing task forces or other mechanisms, “will

determine the priorities for placement of individuals and households.”349 However, the

Strategy only suggests that State and local governments consider medical needs,

accessibility requirements, and court restrictions when determining “which populations

have precedence to ensure that everyone is housed to best suit their individual needs.” 350

The Commission continues to recommend that individuals with subject-matter expertise

related to children and programs to address children’s needs be included on the National

Disaster Housing Task Force (NDHTF),351 State-led housing task forces, and all related

working groups. Representation on State-led housing task forces is especially critical since,

as mentioned above, State-led task forces may identify populations for priority occupancy.352

In the Interim Report, the Commission recommended that the NDHTF integrate the needs of

families with children throughout the Strategy’s Implementation Plan and other related

efforts. The Implementation Plan was released in March 2010 and includes an objective and

346 John Pane, Daniel F. McCaffrey, Nidhi Kalra, and Annie J. Zhou, “Effects of Student Displacement in

Louisiana During the First Academic Year After the Hurricanes of 2005,” Journal of Education for Students Placed at

Risk (JESPAR) 13, no. 2 (2008): 55, http://www.rand.org/pubs/reprints/2008/RAND_RP1379.pdf.

347 Section 308 of the Stafford Act contains a mandate to ensure that “the distribution of supplies, the processing

of applications, and other relief and assistance activities shall be accomplished in an equitable and impartial

manner, without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English

proficiency, or economic status.” Public Law (P.L.) 93-288, 42 U.S.C. 5151.

348 The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA) required the Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with other Federal, State, local, and tribal governments and nongovernmental organizations, to develop the Strategy. Released in January 2009, the Strategy describes how the

Nation currently provides housing to disaster survivors and presents a new direction for disaster housing to better

meet the needs of survivors. 

349 Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Disaster Housing Strategy Annex 4: Disaster Housing

Community Site Operations, (Washington, DC: FEMA, 2009), 112,

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/disasterhousing/NDHSAnnex4.pdf.

350 Ibid., 112. 

351 The Strategy called for the formation of the NDHTF “to provide a full-time, multi-agency focus on disaster

housing related issues, to elevate the significance of disaster housing preparedness in all jurisdictions, and to

oversee implementation of the Strategy.” The NDHTF, comprised of representatives from 15 Federal agencies,

leads disaster housing contingency planning and preparedness efforts and advises the FEMA Administrator. Federal

Emergency Management Agency, National Disaster Housing Strategy Implementation Plan, (Washington, DC:

FEMA, March 2010), 1, http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/disasterhousing/ndhs_implementation_plan.pdf. 

352 Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Disaster Housing Strategy Annex 4: Disaster Housing

Community Site Operations, 112.

120 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
corresponding tasks related to the needs of children, which were assigned to the NDHTF

and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as lead and coordinating

entities.353 The Implementation Plan also indicates that the identification of wrap-around

services354 necessary to meet the needs of children and families will be included in the

National Disaster Housing Concept of Operations and Disaster Housing Practitioner’s

Guide355 currently being developed by the NDHTF.356 The Commission recommends that

both documents clearly state that access, proximity, and transportation to educational

institutions, child care, health and mental health care, child welfare, safe recreational sites,

and essential social services must be primary considerations during the process of locating

suitable housing options for families with children or designing a community site. 

The Commission remains concerned about the delivery of wrap-around services for children

and families placed in community sites. Following a large-scale disaster, available resources

for interim housing may be insufficient to meet demand, prompting the development of

community sites as an “option of last resort.” 357 After Hurricane Katrina, children

experienced challenging living conditions due to overcrowded neighborhoods, unsafe

communities, and isolation from other housing sites.358 Although some social services,

including early childhood education and after-school programs, employment services, and

transit for persons with disabilities, were offered on-site in the largest community site,

Renaissance Village,359 it was likely the only site where this occurred.360 To address problems

with the conditions in community sites, the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act 

353 Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Disaster Housing Strategy Implementation Plan, 14.

354 As stated in FEMA’s National Disaster Housing Strategy, wrap-around services “encompass a variety of human

and social support that may be required to accompany temporary housing community sites during a disaster, such

as health care, schools and daycare, security, social services, maintenance and repair, public transportation, and

employment counseling.” Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Disaster Housing Strategy,

(Washington, DC: FEMA, January 16, 2009), 52, http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/disasterhousing/NDHScore.pdf. The Commission also uses the term to refer to access to mental health and child care services and safe

play areas for children.

355 The purpose of the CONOPS is to describe “specific roles and responsibilities and the actions each player

must take to execute effective disaster housing operations across all levels of government, non-governmental

organizations, and the private sector.” Ibid., 89.

356 The CONOPS and the Practitioners' Guide were to be completed within ten months following release of the

Strategy. However, the deadline was subsequently changed to June 1, 2010, to coincide with the release of

President Obama’s long-term recovery framework. With the recovery framework on hold, the CONOPS and the

Practitioners’ Guide are not yet approved. 

357 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, (Washington, DC: NCCD, October 14,

2009), 58, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20091014_508IR_partII.pdf. 

358 Shane Townsend and Nathalie Dajko, Rapid Assessments of Temporary Housing Camps for HurricaneDisplaced Children and Families, ed. Save the Children (Westport, CT: Save the Children, 2006), 3,

http://www.savethechildren.org/publications/reports/katrina-assessment_final-0706.pdf.

359 Renaissance Village was located about 15 miles north of Baton Rouge (LA) and had a peak population of

more than 500 families. Service providers included Head Start and Early Head Start. U.S. Government

Accountability Office, Disaster Assistance: Federal Efforts to Assist Group Site Residents with Employment, Services

for Families with Children, and Transportation, GAO-09-81, (Washington, DC: GAO, 2008), 39,

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0981.pdf. 

360 Ibid., 4.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 121
(PKEMRA) required the development of a plan for the operation of community sites,

including access to public services, site management, security, and site density.361

In an Annex to the Strategy entitled “Disaster Housing Community Site Operations,” the

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides “a framework for Federal, State,

territory, tribal, and local governments to plan every step of the community site operations

process.”362 FEMA acknowledges that “it is essential that access to educational institutions,

places of employment, and essential social services is considered during the process of

planning and designing a community site.”363 However, FEMA also acknowledges that

locating a community near established wrap-around services and infrastructure may not be

feasible. FEMA notes that, in those cases, additional services and infrastructure, such as

child care and playgrounds, are often requested, but maintains that the Agency lacks the

authority under the Stafford Act to provide these and other wrap-around services to children

and families in community sites.364

The Commission urges State and local governments to ensure that access to wrap-around

services is provided to community site residents. In addition, the Commission recommends

that Congress authorize FEMA to reimburse State and local governments for reasonable

expenses related to ensuring access to these services, whether in the form of transportation

to nearby services or temporary augmentations to the community sites that permit the

services to be delivered on-site. 

Furthermore, the Commission echoes the Government Accountability Office (GAO) 2008

recommendation that FEMA develop clear written guidance around emergency

transportation planning and reimbursement for State and local governments.365 Following

Hurricane Katrina, the GAO identified only one Federal program that exclusively served

community site residents, and only two community sites received services through the

program.366 Routes were limited to FEMA-defined “essential services”—specifically banks,

grocery stores, and pharmacies—while transport to other human and medical services was

not provided. FEMA officials indicated to the Commission that although no specific written

policy addressing reimbursement for emergency transportation costs exists, FEMA may

cover certain additional transportation expenses under the public assistance program. States

and local jurisdictions must have a clearer indication from FEMA of the type and scope of

transportation assistance eligible for reimbursement following a disaster. 

361 P.L. 109-295; 120 Stat. 1394.

362 Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Disaster Housing Strategy Annex 4: Disaster Housing

Community Site Operations, 99.

363 Ibid., 109.

364 Ibid., 110.

365 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Emergency Transit Assistance: Federal Funding for Recent Disasters,

and Options for the Future, GAO-08-243, (Washington, DC: GAO, 2008), 6-7,

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08243.pdf.

366 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Disaster Assistance: Federal Efforts to Assist Group Site Residents

with Employment, Services for Families with Children, and Transportation, 4-5.

122 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Finally, the Commission recommends that the NDHTF continue to identify and promote

innovative disaster housing solutions that accelerate the transition to permanent housing for

families with children. One example of an innovative solution is FEMA’s Alternative

Housing Pilot Program (AHPP), which FEMA identifies as a key component of the National

Disaster Housing Strategy.367 The most recognized initiatives under AHPP are the cottage

programs, known as Mississippi Cottages in Mississippi368 and Katrina Cottages in

Louisiana.369 The purpose of the programs is to develop and produce safer and more

comfortable temporary housing units with the option of allowing units to be converted from

temporary to permanent.370, 371 The cottages are designed to be larger and more durable than

FEMA trailers and to provide a more comfortable living space.372, 373 In addition, they can be

easily incorporated as a permanent part of a community, as has recently occurred in Ocean

Springs, MS.374

In a statement to the House Homeland Security Committee in a July 2009 public hearing,

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate noted that Katrina-type cottages could significantly

accelerate a small community’s recovery following a disaster.375 He encouraged

communities to develop strategies that integrate alternative housing solutions, such as the

Katrina-type cottages, into their communities, as opposed to considering cottages an

alternative to temporary housing.376

367 Federal Emergency Management Agency, “Alternative Housing Pilot Program,”

http://www.fema.gov/about/programs/ahpp/index.shtm.

368 At the program’s height in Mississippi, 2,900 cottages were occupied. Mississippi’s goal was to permanently

install and transfer ownership of 1,200 cottages to individuals for location on individual sites by May 2010, and

subsequently dispose of all cottages at transitional sites and demobilize all cottages that were not to be sold. The

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency offered 250 of these cottages at auction to the public on June 4, 2010.

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, “Mississippi Alternative Housing,” http://www.mscottage.org/. 

369 In Louisiana, 119 of these Katrina Cottages had been completed in December 2009, with another 230 still to

be built. While many of these are to be used as rental housing, the others will be sold to qualified buyers through

a program overseen by the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Bill Barrow, “Katrina Cottage Financing Not Going to

Waste, Louisiana Recovery Authority Reports,” December 8, 2009,

http://www.nola.com/hurricane/index.ssf/2009/12/katrina_cottage_financing_not.html.

370 Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, “Mississippi Alternative Housing.”

371 Louisiana Recovery Authority, “$74 Million for Louisiana Cottages on the Way.”

372 Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, “Mississippi Alternative Housing.” 

373 Louisiana Recovery Authority, “$74 Million for Louisiana Cottages on the Way.” The Mississippi Cottages

employ a variety of designs for small-scale, quality-built homes that provide strong resistance to storms. Other

design features which are improvements over FEMA trailers include air-conditioned attics, EnergyStar heating,

ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, moisture and mold resistant materials, and a front porch.

Cottages also reflect Gulf Coast design styles. Federal Emergency Management Agency, “Fact Sheet Awards -

Selected Grant Awards For Alternative Housing Pilot Project,”

http://www.fema.gov/media/fact_sheets/ahpp_awards.shtm. 

374 Mississippi Renewal Forum, “Getting to the Future First: Lessons from America in Mississippi’s Storm

Recovery?,” http://www.mississippirenewal.com/#. 

375 Craig Fugate, Testimony of Craig Fugate before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Homeland

Security, “FEMA Housing: An Examination of Current Problems and Innovative Solutions,” Serial No. 111-27,

Washington, DC, July 8, 2009, 11, http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgibin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_house_hearings&docid=f:52955.pdf.

376 Ibid., 11-12. 

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 123

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 125

11. Evacuation 

Recommendation 11.1: Congress and Federal agencies should provide sufficient funding

to develop and deploy a national information sharing capability to quickly and

effectively reunite displaced children with their families, guardians, and caregivers

when separated by a disaster.

Recommendation 11.2: Disaster plans at all levels of government must specifically

address the evacuation and transportation needs of children with disabilities and

chronic health needs, in coordination with child congregate care facilities such as

schools, child care, and health care facilities.
126 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 127

Recommendation 11.1: Congress and Federal agencies should provide sufficient 

funding to develop and deploy a national information sharing capability to quickly 

and effectively reunite displaced children with their families, guardians, and caregivers 

when separated by a disaster.

- DHS should lead the development of a nationwide information technology capability

to collect, share, and search data from any patient and evacuee tracking or family

reunification system.

- DHS should support the development of voluntary consensus-driven standards for data

collection and data sharing through a joint Federal, non-Federal, and private sector

process. 

- Government agencies should ensure the collection of appropriate data on evacuated

children, particularly unaccompanied minors.

Families may become separated during the chaos of a disaster, especially when it

necessitates evacuation. A no-notice disaster occurring while children are in schools, afterschool programs, and child care facilities increases the likelihood that children will be

separated from parents and guardians. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita demonstrated the

consequences of a large-scale evacuation, as more than 5,000 children became separated

from their families.377 More than 34,000 calls were placed to a special hotline that the

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children established after the storms and it took

6 months for the last child to be reunited with their family.378 The longer a child is separated

from parents and loved ones, the more he or she is at risk for physical injuries, abuse,

abduction, and emotional trauma.379

The inability to track the movement and location of evacuated persons was a major factor

delaying family reunification after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.380 Limitations in tracking

patients evacuated on various Federal, State, and private-sector aircraft were also identified.381

In subsequent years, a number of States have developed or purchased systems for tracking 

377 Sarita Chung and Michael Shannon, “Reuniting Children with Their Families During Disasters: A Proposed

Plan for Greater Success,” American Journal of Disaster Medicine 2, no. 3 (2007): 114.

378 Ibid., 114.

379 Mark A Brandenburg, Sue M. Watkins, Karin L. Brandenburg, and Christoph Schieche, "Operation Child-ID:

Reunifying Children with Their Legal Guardians after Hurricane Katrina,” Disasters 31, no. 3 (2007): 277-87.

380 Daniel D. Broughton, Ernest E. Allen, Robert E. Hannemann, and Joshua E. Petrikin, “Getting 5000 Families

Back Together: Reuniting Fractured Families after a Disaster: The Role of the National Center for Missing &

Exploited Children,” Pediatrics 117, no. 5 (2006): S442-5,

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/117/5/S2/S442.

381 During Hurricane Katrina, the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) was activated to provide patient

transport and help facilitate hospital evacuations. More than 4,000 patients were evacuated through the New

Orleans airport, and some patients were placed on Air Force aircraft; however, more than half of the patients were

placed on National Guard and private aircraft. Only those patients who were evacuated on the Air Force aircraft

were entered into the NDMS patient movement-tracking system. Thus, accurate data on all transported patients

were not available. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, S. Rpt. 109-322 –

Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still Unprepared, (Washington, DC: GPO, 2006), 414,

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/creports/katrinanation.html.

11. Evacuation 
evacuees.382 States also have the option of using the National Mass Evacuation Tracking

System (NMETS), a State-based system developed and released by the Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA) on June 1, 2010. NMETS is offered in three versions: a manual

paper-based system, a low-tech computer database and an advanced technology system.383

State-based systems, however, have limited ability to track people who cross State lines,

especially if the information is stored and used within the person’s originating State only

and interstate agreements to share information are not in place. After Hurricane Katrina,

evacuated households, many of which relocated out of State, moved an average of 3.5 times

over a 6-month period.384

In addition to evacuee tracking systems, tools were developed within the public and private

sectors to reunite family and friends displaced by disasters. Congress authorized the

creation of the National Emergency Child Locator Center385 and the National Emergency

Family Registry and Locator System386 within the Post-Katrina Emergency Management

Reform Act.387 Other prominent reunification tools have been created by the American Red

Cross, Google, and the National Library of Medicine.388

The development of these various evacuee tracking systems and family reunification tools is

encouraging; however, the absence of an overarching information technology capability

that allows these systems to share data on displaced persons nationally remains a significant

gap. The Commission recommends that Congress and relevant Federal agencies, including

the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Health and Human

Services (HHS), and the Department of Defense (DoD) provide the necessary funding to

develop a national information sharing capability that addresses the significant challenge of

quickly and effectively reuniting displaced children with their families, guardians, and 

382 See, for example: Texas Department of State Health Services, “Medical Special Needs Toolkit,”

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/comprep/msn/Tab_J_SNETS_Sheltering.pdf; State of Louisiana, Department of Social

Services, “DSS Offers First Look at Hurricane Evacuee-Tracking System,”

http://dss.louisiana.gov/assets/docs/searchable/pressReleases/2008/05/evacueetracking5-30-.pdf.

383 Waddy Gonzalez, National Mass Evacuation System (NMETS), Presentation to the Evacuation,

Transportation, and Housing Subcommittee, November 9, 2009. 

384 David Abramson and Richard Garfield, On the Edge: Children and Families Displaced by Hurricanes Katrina

and Rita Face a Looming Medical and Mental Health Crisis, ed. National Center for Disaster Preparedness,

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (New York. NY, 2006), 3,

http://www.ncdp.mailman.columbia.edu/files/On%20the%20Edge%20LCAFH%20Final%20Report_Columbia%20University.pdf.

385 National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, “Natural Disasters: Is your family prepared?”,

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=3252. 

386 Federal Emergency Management Agency, “National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System,”

http://www.fema.gov/media/fact_sheets/nefrls.shtm.

387 Public Law (P.L.) 109-295; 120 Stat. 1394 (2006).

388 See, for example: American Red Cross, “Safe and Well,” https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/; Google,

“Person Finder: Haiti Earthquake,” http://haiticrisis.appspot.com/; Google, “Person Finder: Chile Earthquake,”

http://chilepersonfinder.appspot.com/; U.S. National Library of Medicine, “Lost Person Finder (LPF),”

http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/proj/lpf.php.

128 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 129

caregivers when separated by a disaster. The Commission recognizes that the development

of the infrastructure for a national information sharing capability with appropriate standards,

guidelines, and protocols would require significant funding over multiple years, but believes

this investment is necessary and supports current efforts to address this significant gap. 

The Commission recommends that DHS, as the Federal coordinating agency for Mass

Evacuation,389 lead the development of a nationwide information technology capability to

collect, share, and search data from any patient and evacuee tracking or family reunification

system. HHS and DoD should also have a major role in developing this capability, as they

utilize a patient tracking system for patients evacuated by the HHS National Disaster

Medical System.390

In its Interim Report, the Commission examined the Agency for Healthcare Research and

Quality’s (AHRQ) Recommendations for a National Mass Patient and Evacuee Movement,

Regulating, and Tracking System.

391 According to the AHRQ report, the system would

provide the capability to link existing Federal, State, tribal, local, community, and private

systems that track the location and health status of patients and evacuees at health care

facilities, disaster shelters, and other locations where patients and evacuees gather during

an evacuation.392 Since the Interim Report, efforts to advance the creation of this system

have progressed.393 DoD and AHRQ drafted a statement of work (SOW) reflecting Federal

requirements, which establishes a task-oriented approach allowing for incremental creation

of the system as funds become available. A multi-agency memorandum of understanding394

is being finalized to establish policy for the national system, perform legal and regulatory

reviews, examine existing tracking and regulating systems, and complete the SOW with

Federal, State, tribal, local, and private industry representatives. In the next phase, the DoD

project will look to bring together an interagency Executive Oversight Committee and one or

more working groups to address the issues surrounding the creation of this platform.

Additionally, the DHS Science & Technology Directorate awarded a contract to address the

creation of Extensible Markup Language (XML)-based standards that will enable the

exchange of information between legacy systems, through a “system of systems” approach.395

389 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, “National Response

Framework, Mass Evacuation Incident Annex,” 1,

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nrf/nrf_massevacuationincidentannex.pdf

390 Ibid., 17.

391 National Commission on Children and Disasters, Interim Report, (Washington, DC: NCCD, October 14,

2009), 64, http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20091014_508IR_partII.pdf.

392 Tom Rich, Paul Biddinger, Richard Zane, Andrea Hassol, Lucy Savitz, and Margarita Warren,

Recommendations for a National Mass Patient and Evacuee Movement, Regulating, and Tracking System, AHRQ

Publication Number 09-0039-EF, ed. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (Rockville, MD: AHRQ, 2009),

2-3, http://www.ahrq.gov/prep/natlsystem/natlsys.pdf.

393 National Commission on Children and Disasters, personal communication with Christy Music (DoD) and

Sally Phillips (AHRQ), July 2, 2010.

394 DoD proposes to co-lead this next phase of the initiative with the Department of Health and Human Services

(HHS), DHS, and FEMA, and will ask stakeholder Departments and non-governmental organizations, such as the

Department of Transportation, the Department of Justice, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and ARC, to

participate. 

395 This contract led to work with the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards

(OASIS) to establish patient tracking standards, which may later be expanded to tracking non-patient evacuees. 
The Commission supports the objectives of the AHRQ recommendations and is encouraged

by the recent progress on this initiative. 

The Commission recommends that DHS direct an accrediting body, such as the American

National Standards Institute (ANSI),396 to convene a panel of interested public and private

parties to address the collection and sharing of information on evacuees. Federal, State,

local, and private-sector entities would identify existing voluntary consensus standards or

help accelerate their development should no suitable standards be identified.397 Common

standards and protocols on privacy policies are needed to address the disclosure, access,

activation, use, and storage of information on evacuees, as well as “a threshold level of

confidentiality” that stakeholders agree to meet.398

Challenges and concerns regarding national data collection and sharing arose during

discussions at the Commission’s February 2010 Long-Term Disaster Recovery Workshop.399

Participants questioned what information should be collected; who should have access to

this information and how it can be used; and how this system will balance the critical need

to share personally identifiable information (PII) while adhering to privacy and

confidentiality laws and regulations, such as the Privacy Act,400 the Health Insurance 

396 ANSI is a private, nonprofit organization that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standards and

conformity assessment system. ANSI collaborates with stakeholders from both industry and government to identify

consensus-based solutions to national and global priorities. American National Standards Institute, “About ANSI

Overview,” http://www.ansi.org/about_ansi/overview/overview.aspx?menuid=1.

397 For example, the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States requested ANSI to

“develop a consensus on a ‘National Standard for Preparedness’ for the private sector.” National Commission on

Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, The 9/11 Commission Report, (New York, NY: July 2004), 398,

http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Based on ANSI’s recommendations, in June 2010 DHS

adopted three existing standards for the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification

Program, “a partnership between DHS and the private sector that enables private entities to receive emergency

preparedness certification from a DHS accreditation system created in coordination with the private sector.” US

Department of Homeland Security, “Secretary Napolitano Announces New Standards for Private Sector

Preparedness,” http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1276616888003.shtm.

398 A potential model for developing a national information sharing capability and standards is the National

Juvenile Information Sharing (JIS) Initiative, which identified three components to successful and effective

information sharing: effective multi-system collaborations, agreement on privacy and confidentiality practices, and

the use of appropriate technology. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency, Guidelines for Juvenile Information

Sharing, (Washington, DC: OJJDP, October 2006), 15, http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/215786.pdf. 

399 National Commission on Children and Disasters, “Long Term Recovery Workshop: Report of Findings,”

(Washington, DC: NCCD, 2010), 17-22,

http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/20100201_WorkshopReportV04_FINAL_8F09.pdf. 

400 The Privacy Act states that disclosure of protected health information can only occur with written consent of

the individual. Although the Act enumerates a number of exemptions from the “written consent” requirement, it is

unclear whether any exemption would apply to the disclosure of personal information pertaining to evacuees and

their whereabouts. However, the Privacy Act’s “routine use” exemption allows for the sharing of information when

compatible with the purposes for which it was collected. P.L. 93-579; 5 U.S.C. § 552a (1974).

http://www.justice.gov/archive/oip/privstat.htm.

130 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule,401 and the Family Educational

Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).402 Questions remain about whether sharing PII during an

emergency for the purpose of evacuee tracking is explicitly prohibited by privacy laws or

limited by interpretations of laws. The Commission recognizes the importance of ensuring

privacy and confidentiality of personal information, and in certain cases, strengthened

privacy regulations are needed during disasters to protect children. Yet, information such as

the location of unaccompanied minors can speed family reunification and should be shared

with appropriate agencies and organizations when it is clearly in the best interest of a child. 

The Commission recommends that evacuee tracking systems utilized by all levels of

government collect appropriate data on evacuated children, particularly unaccompanied

minors. A 2006 White House report called on DHS and the Department of Transportation to

evaluate State and local evacuation plans and singled out unaccompanied minors as one

subgroup that must be addressed in those plans.403 In response to suggestions from the

Commission during NMETS development, FEMA improved NMETS’s ability to track children

by adding an “unaccompanied minor” check box and additional information fields to each

of the versions of NMETS.404 Simultaneously, processes and procedures must be in place to

allow youth, parents, and legal guardians to review information that is collected about them

and that may be disclosed, and allow them to approve or amend their information.405

401 Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, the disclosure of protected health information can only occur with written

consent of the individual, unless the routine use exemption applies. P.L. 104-191, 101 Stat. 1936 (1996).

402 Guidance released in 2010 states that “FERPA permits school officials to disclose, without consent, education

records, or personally identifiable information from education records, to appropriate parties in connection with an

emergency, if knowledge of that information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other

individuals.” U.S. Department of Education, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Disclosure

of Student Information Related to Emergencies and Disasters, (Washington, DC: ED, June 2010), 4,

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/pdf/ferpa-disaster-guidance.pdf. 

403 The White House, The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned, (Washington, DC: The White

House, February 2006), 100, http://library.stmarytx.edu/acadlib/edocs/katrinawh.pdf.

404 When this box is checked on the electronic version, a message appears in red text indicating that the

unaccompanied minor should be escorted to the proper authorities in compliance with State evacuation

procedures. Also added to NMETS were fields allowing input of information to describe an unaccompanied minor

(e.g., eye color, hair color, and other distinguishing features) and indicate the name of the agency or individual

who has taken the minor into custody. FEMA is also exploring development of an unaccompanied minors registry

which would serve as a central repository for registering unaccompanied minors located during a disaster. This

system would assist States to uniformly register unaccompanied minors, search data fields, and reunite families

more quickly.

405 Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Guidelines for Juvenile Information Sharing, 16. 

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 131
Recommendation 11.2: Disaster plans at all levels of government must specifically 

address the evacuation and transportation needs of children with disabilities and 

chronic health needs, in coordination with child congregate care facilities such as 

schools, child care, and health care facilities. 

Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a 2006 Government Accountability Office report on

the evacuation of vulnerable populations due to disasters found increased efforts in some

States and localities to address the evacuation needs of “transportation-disadvantaged”

populations, including persons with disabilities, but also found that many disaster plans

were still lacking in this area.406 Results from a 2007 University of Kansas survey of 30

FEMA-declared disaster sites found that 57 percent of county emergency managers did not

know how many persons with mobility limitations lived within their jurisdiction.407 While

attention to the unique needs of children in disaster planning is increasing, more attention is

necessary on evacuation planning for children with disabilities and chronic health needs.408

The Commission recommends that DHS/FEMA and relevant Federal and non-Federal agencies

fully address the needs of children with disabilities and chronic health needs in evacuation

and transportation plans. A 2009 report from the National Council on Disability stressed that

evacuating persons with disabilities is more time- and resource-intensive compared to persons

without disabilities; therefore, local pre-event evacuation planning is crucial.409 Planning that

addresses the evacuation of populations with disabilities or chronic health needs must also

consider children’s unique developmental characteristics and dependency needs, such as: the

need to keep children with their guardians, family members and/or caregivers; medication,

medical equipment, and service animals; and appropriate messaging and risk communication

about how to evacuate and the risks of not evacuating. Individuals and families with

disabilities and chronic health needs must be included in the emergency planning process,

alongside emergency management agencies, State and local education agencies,

transportation providers, and non-governmental organizations.410 In addition, many children

406 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Preliminary Observations on the Evacuation of Vulnerable

Populations due to Hurricanes and Other Disasters, GAO-06-790T, (Washington, DC: GAO, 2006), 9,

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06790t.pdf.

407 Michael H. Fox, Glen W. White, Catherine Rooney, and Jennifer L. Rowland, “Disaster Preparedness and

Response for Persons with Mobility Impairments,” Journal of Disability Policy Studies 17, no. 4 (2007): 204.

408 Lori Peek and Laura M. Stough, “Children With Disabilities in the Context of Disaster: A Social Vulnerability

Perspective,” Child Development 81, no. 4 (2010): 1260.

409 National Council on Disability, Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities

and People with Disabilities, (Washington, DC: NCD, August 12, 2009), 77,

http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom//publications/2009/pdf/NCD_EmergencyManagement.pdf.

410 Federal Highway Administration, Evacuating Populations With Special Needs, ed. U.S. Department of

Transportation (Washington, DC: DOT, April 2009), 17-28,

http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop09022/fhwahop09022.pdf.

132 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
spend a significant amount of time in schools and child care, and some reside in group homes

or juvenile justice facilities; therefore, planning for the evacuation of children with disabilities

and chronic health needs should be required for these child congregate care settings and

conducted in coordination with emergency managers.411, 412

Transportation assets, particularly vehicles with accessible features for children with

disabilities, must also be identified and organized in advance of a disaster.413, 414 School

buses and public transportation have been suggested as possible resources for mass

evacuation during a disaster.415 A report by the Western Transportation Institute found that 92

percent of total possible passenger seats within 24 Gulf Coast counties and parishes were

on school buses.416 However, school buses are not always air-conditioned, and most lack

wheelchair tie-downs and spaces for accommodating wheelchairs.417 The report

recommended that additional research be conducted on identifying and providing

transportation for children following a disaster, with an emphasis on multi-agency planning,

especially with child care facilities, schools, hospitals, emergency management agencies,

and law enforcement agencies.418

According to the U.S. Department of Education, more than 6.6 million children ages three

to 21 have a diagnosed disability, representing 13.4 percent of total public school

enrollment.419 FEMA’s Comprehensive Planning Guide 301 includes specific guidance for 

411 Yet 25 States do not require all licensed child care facilities to have evacuation plans, 33 States do not require

all licensed child care facilities to have evacuation plans that account for children with special needs, and 10

States and the District of Columbia do not require schools to have a written evacuation plan that accounts for

multiple hazards. Save the Children, A National Report Card on Protecting Children During Disasters, (Westport,

CT: Save the Children, 2010), 4, http://www.savethechildren.org/atf/cf/%7B9def2ebe-10ae-432c-9bd0-

df91d2eba74a%7D/2010-Disaster-Report.pdf.

412 For additional information and recommendations on managing the needs of children with chronic health 

conditions in child care and schools, including emergency planning recommendations, see: Elaine A. Donoghue

and Colleen A. Kraft, Managing Chronic Health Needs in Child Care and Schools: A Quick Reference Guide, ed.

American Academy of Pediatrics (Elk Grove Village, IL: AAP, 2009),

https://www.nfaap.org/netforum/eweb/dynamicpage.aspx?site=nf.aap.org&webcode=aapbks_productdetail&key=B

AD2FE33-C4E2-447F-9936-9DA8978B08D7.

413 National Council on Disability, Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities

and People with Disabilities, 77. 

414 Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and

Civil Liberties, Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 301: Interim Emergency Management Planning Guide

for Special Needs Populations, Version 1.0, (Washington, DC: DHS, August 15, 2008), 5,

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/media/2008/301.pdf.

415 Jaydeep Chaudhari, Janelle Booth, Zhirui Ye, David Kack, and Benedict Posadas, Evacuation Preparedness of

Public Transportation and School Buses in Rural Coastal Communities of the North Gulf Region, (Bozeman, MT:

Western Transportation Institute, April 15, 2010),

http://www.westerntransportationinstitute.org/download.ashx?file=documents/reports/4W2643_Final_Report.pdf.

416 Ibid., 15. 

417 Ibid., ix.

418 Ibid., 32-33.

419 National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics: 2009, ed. U.S. Department of

Education (Washington, DC: ED, April 2010), 84,

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d09/tables/dt09_050.asp?referrer=report.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 133
planning for the evacuation of schools and addressing the unique needs of students with

disabilities.420 The guide suggests that school-based plans should ensure the participation of

students and staff with disabilities in the event of an evacuation, lockdown, or shelter-inplace. In addition, it recommends that all school-based plans address a wide variety of

disabilities, including visual, hearing, mobility, cognitive, and emotional.421 These plans must

ensure that evacuation vehicles and evacuation sites are accessible to students and staff

with disabilities, and address reunification of students with their families and guardians after

evacuation.422 Pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, schools are

required to provide transportation that accommodates students with disabilities.423 As part of

the Individualized Education Plans (IEP) mandated for students with disabilities, schools

should include plans for evacuating and providing appropriate transportation for these

students.424 A planning tool from the National Fire Protection Association includes a

checklist addressing issues regarding safe evacuation of students with disabilities that can be

included with each student’s IEP.425

420 Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and

Civil Liberties, Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 301: Interim Emergency Management Planning Guide

for Special Needs Populations, Version 1.0, 32-33.

421 Ibid., 32.

422 Ibid., 42-44.

423 P.L. 108-446 (2004).

424 National Fire Protection Association, Personal Emergency Evacuation Planning Tool for School Students with

Disabilities, (Quincy, MA: NFPA, July 2007), 3,

http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files//PDF/Fact%20sheets/EvacStudentDisabilities.pdf.

425 Ibid., 9-13.

134 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 135

Appendixes
136 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
A. Study Approach.................................................................................138

B. Index to Recommendations and Responsible Entities........................140

C. Model Executive Order or Resolution Creating a 

“Cabinet on Children and Disasters and Children 

and Disasters Advisory Council”.......................................................158

D. Children and Disasters: the Role of State and Local 

Governments in Protecting This Vulnerable Population.....................161

E. Standards and Indicators for Disaster Shelter Care 

for Children ......................................................................................163

F. Supplies for Infants and Toddlers in Mass Care Shelters 

and Emergency Congregate Care Facilities .......................................166

G. Subcommittee Members and Other Contributors .............................172

H. Stakeholder Outreach.......................................................................177

I. Commissioner Biographies................................................................181

J. Commission and Project Staff ...........................................................185

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 137

Appendixes
Appendix A. Study Approach 

The Commission was charged with conducting “a comprehensive study to examine and

assess the needs of children as they relate to preparation for, response to, and recovery from

all hazards, building on the evaluations of other entities and avoiding unnecessary

duplication by reviewing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of these 

entities.” 426 Four main components comprised the Commission’s approach to conducting

this study. 

First, Commission staff and contractors searched academic databases and government and

non-governmental Web sites to identify existing research, reports, policy positions,

guidelines, and recommendations and identified gaps in the professional literature related

to children and disasters. Relevant documents, including abstracts where available, were

entered into an EndNote® X2 database, which serves as the Commission’s library.

Second, Commissioners and staff conducted three field visits to gather insights, lessons

learned, and best practices from State and local jurisdictions affected by disasters. The first

was held in Baton Rouge, LA, in January 2009 to discuss lessons learned from Hurricanes

Katrina and Rita and discuss strategies to improve disaster case management services. The

second was held in Cedar Rapids, IA, in January 2010 to discuss long-term recovery efforts

in Iowa following the major floods and tornados during the summer of 2008. The third field

visit was held in Miami, FL, in April 2010 to gather information about emergency response

coordination and the resulting domestic impact from the Federal Government’s response to

the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

The Commission also extensively solicited and reviewed input from stakeholders and

subject matter experts (Appendix H: Stakeholder Outreach). This outreach effort involved

the following:

• The Commission formed four subcommittees comprising more than 50 subject matter

experts.

• In April 2009 the Commission sent letters to 73 non-governmental stakeholder

organizations requesting information, research articles, reports, and policy

recommendations. 

• The Commission co-sponsored the Disasters Roundtable Workshop on Children and

Youth in Disasters with The National Academies in June 2009.

• The Commission convened a Long-Term Disaster Recovery Workshop in February

2010 with more than 120 governmental and non-governmental participants. 

• Each public Commission meeting included a public comment period. 

426 Public Law (P.L.) 110-161, Section 604 (2008). 

138 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Also, Commissioners and staff held numerous meetings with Federal, State, and local

agencies and non-governmental organizations. 

Minutes of all public Commission meetings, in-person subcommittee meetings, workshops,

and field visits are available on the Commission’s Web site.427 Also available at the Web site

are the Commission’s Interim Report and the Progress Report on implementation of the

Interim Report recommendations. 

427 http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 139
Appendix B: Index to Recommendations and Responsible Entities

1. Disaster Management and Recovery 

1.1: Distinguish and comprehensively 

integrate the needs of children across 

all inter- and intra-governmental disaster 

management activities and operations. X X ALL X X

• The President should develop a 

National Strategy for Children and 

Disasters. X

• The Executive Branch, Congress, and 

non-Federal partners should prioritize 

children separately from “at-risk” 

population categories. X X ALL X X

• The Executive Branch at all levels of 

government should establish and maintain

permanent focal points of coordination 

for children and disasters, supported by 

sufficient authority, funding, and policy 

expertise. FEMA should establish 

Children’s Integration Specialists at the 

regional level. X ALL X

• The Executive Branch and non-Federal 

partners should incorporate children as a 

distinct priority in base disaster planning 

documents and relevant grant programs. X ALL X

• The Executive Branch and non-Federal 

partners should incorporate education, DHS/FEMA

child care, juvenile justice, and child HHS

welfare systems into disaster planning, ED

training, and exercises. X DOJ X

140 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT President 

Congress

RelevantFederalAgencies

States, Tribes, Territories,and Localities

Non-GovernmentalEntities
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 141

• The Executive Branch and non-Federal 

partners should incorporate children as a 

distinct priority in relevant target 

capabilities, preparedness training, and 

exercises, with specific target outcomes 

and performance measures. X ALL X

• The Executive Branch and Congress should

institute accountability and progress 

monitoring measures to track 

implementation of Commission 

recommendations and capability 

improvements. X X ALL X 

1.2: The President should accelerate the 

development and implementation of the 

National Disaster Recovery Framework 

with an explicit emphasis on addressing 

the immediate and long-term physical 

and mental health, educational, housing, 

and human services recovery needs 

of children. X

1.3: DHS/FEMA should ensure that 

information required for timely and 

effective delivery of recovery services 

to children and families is collected and 

shared with appropriate entities. ALL X X

• Government agencies and nongovernmental organizations should collect 

information on children and families

necessary to identify and support their 

immediate and long-term recovery needs. ALL X X

• DHS/FEMA should expand information 

sharing with appropriate government 

agencies and non-governmental 

organizations to enable the delivery of 

recovery services. DHS/FEMA President Congress Relevant Federal Agencies

States, Tribes, Territories,and Localities

Non-GovernmentalEntities
142 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT President 

Congress

RelevantFederalAgencies

States, Tribes, Territories,and Localities

Non-GovernmentalEntities

• DHS/FEMA should pre-identify and 

credential additional local and out-of-State

voluntary and non-governmental 

organizations and networks that provide 

disaster assistance to children and families. DHS/FEMA

1.4: DHS/FEMA should establish interagency

agreements to provide disaster preparedness

funding, technical assistance, training, and DHS/FEMA

other resources to State and local child HHS

serving systems and child congregate ED

care facilities. DOJ

2. Mental Health

2.1: HHS should lead efforts to integrate 

mental and behavioral health for children 

into public health, medical, and other 

relevant disaster management activities. X ALL X

• Congress should direct HHS to lead the 

development of a disaster mental and 

behavioral health Concept of Operations 

(CONOPS) to formalize disaster mental 

and behavioral health as a core component

of disaster preparedness, response, and 

recovery efforts. X HHS

2.2: HHS should enhance the research 

agenda for children’s disaster mental and 

behavioral health, including psychological 

first aid, cognitive-behavioral interventions, 

social support interventions, bereavement 

counseling and support, and programs 

intended to enhance children’s resilience 

in the aftermath of a disaster. HHS
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 143 Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories and Localities Relevant Federal Agencies States, Tribes, Territories and Localities Non-Governmental Entities

• HHS should convene a working group of 

children’s disaster mental health and 

pediatric experts to review the research 

portfolios of relevant agencies, identify 

gaps in knowledge, and recommend a 

national research agenda across the full 

spectrum of disaster mental health for 

children and families. HHS

2.3: Federal agencies and non-Federal 

partners should enhance pre-disaster 

preparedness and just-in-time training in 

pediatric disaster mental and behavioral 

health, including psychological first aid, 

bereavement support, and brief supportive DHS/FEMA

interventions, for mental health HHS

professionals and individuals, such as ED

teachers, who work with children. DOJ X X

2.4: DHS/FEMA and SAMHSA should 

strengthen the Crisis Counseling Assistance 

and Training Program (CCP) to better meet

the mental health needs of children and DHS/FEMA

families. HHS

• Simplify the Immediate Services Program 

(ISP) grant application to minimize the 

burden on communities affected by a 

disaster and facilitate the rapid allocation DHS/FEMA

of funding and initiation of services. HHS

• Establish the position of Children’s 

Disaster Mental Health Coordinator DHS/FEMA 

within State-level CCPs. HHS X

• Formally modify the CCP model to indicate

and promote “enhanced services” where 

the mental health impact is unlikely to be 

adequately addressed by “typical” DHS/FEMA

CCP services. HHS
144 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

• Include bereavement support and 

education within services typically DHS/FEMA

provided under the CCP. HHS

2.5 Congress should establish a single, 

flexible grant funding mechanism to 

specifically support the delivery of mental 

health treatment services that address the 

full spectrum of behavioral health needs of

children including treatment of disasterrelated adjustment difficulties, psychiatric 

disorders, and substance abuse. X

3. Child Physical Health

3.1: Congress, HHS and DHS/FEMA should 

ensure availability and access to pediatric 

medical countermeasures (MCM) at the 

Federal, State, and local levels for chemical,

biological, radiological, nuclear, and DHS/FEMA

explosive threats. X HHS

• Provide funding and grant guidance for 

the development, acquisition, and 

stockpiling of MCM specifically for 

children for inclusion in the Strategic

National Stockpile (SNS) and all other 

federally funded caches, including those 

funded by DHS/FEMA. X HHS

• Amend the Emergency Use Authorization 

to allow the FDA, at the direction of the 

HHS Secretary, to authorize pediatric 

indications of MCM for emergency use 

before an emergency is known or imminent. X

• Form a standing advisory body of Federal 

partners and external experts to advise the 

HHS Secretary and provide expert 

consensus on issues pertaining specifically 

to pediatric emergency MCM. HHS Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories and Localities Relevant Federal Agencies

States, Tribes, Territories,and Localities

Non-GovernmentalEntities
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 145

• Within the HHS Biomedical Advanced 

Research and Development Authority, 

designate a pediatric leader and establish 

a pediatric and obstetric working group to 

conduct gap analyses and make research 

recommendations. HHS

• Include pediatric expertise on the HHS 

Enterprise Governance Board or its 

successor and all relevant committees and 

working groups addressing issues 

pertaining to MCM. HHS

• Establish a partnership between the 

proposed MCM Development Leader and 

key pediatric stakeholders both within 

and outside government. HHS

3.2: HHS and DoD should enhance the 

pediatric capabilities of their disaster 

medical response teams through the 

integration of pediatric-specific training, HHS

guidance, exercises, supplies, and personnel. X DoD

• HHS should develop pediatric capabilities 

within each National Disaster Medical 

System (NDMS) region. HHS

• HHS should establish a “reserve pool” of 

pediatric health care workers to assist in 

NDMS disaster response. HHS

• HHS and DoD should establish a Pediatric

Health Care Coordinator on each disaster 

medical response team and develop 

strategies to recruit and retain team HHS

members with pediatric medical expertise. DoD 

3.3: HHS should ensure that health 

professionals who may treat children during

a disaster have adequate pediatric disaster HHS

clinical training. DoD X X Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories and Localities Relevant Federal Agencies States, Tribes, Territories and Localities Non-Governmental Entities
146 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

• The President should direct the Federal 

Education and Training Interagency Group

for Public Health and Medical Disaster 

Preparedness and Response (FETIG) to 

prioritize the development of pediatric 

core competencies, core curricula, 

training, and research. X

• The FETIG should support the formation 

of a Pediatric Disaster Clinical Education 

and Training Working Group to establish 

core clinical competencies and a standard,

modular pediatric disaster health care HHS

education and training curriculum. DoD

3.4: The Executive Branch and Congress 

should provide resources for a formal 

regionalized pediatric system of care to 

support pediatric surge capacity during 

and after disasters. X X HHS

• HHS should include pediatric surge 

capacity as a “Required Funding Capability”

in the Hospital Preparedness Program. HHS

• States and hospital accrediting bodies 

should ensure all hospital emergency 

departments stand ready to care for ill or 

injured children through the adoption of 

emergency preparedness guidelines jointly

developed by the American Academy of 

Pediatrics, the American College of 

Emergency Physicians, and the Emergency 

Nurses Association. X X Relevant Federal Agencies States, Tribes, Territories and Localities President Congress Relevant Federal Agencies States, Tribes, Territories, and Localities Non-Governmental Entities
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 147

3.5: Prioritize the recovery of pediatric DHS/FEMA

health and mental health care delivery HHS

systems in disaster-affected areas. X X SBA X

• Congress should establish sufficient funding

mechanisms to support restoration and 

continuity of for-profit and non-profit 

health and mental health services 

to children. X

• The Executive Branch should recognize 

and support pediatric health and mental 

health care delivery systems as a planning 

imperative in the development and 

implementation of the National Health DHS/FEMA 

Security Strategy and National Disaster HHS

Recovery Framework. X SBA

• HHS should create Medicaid and Children’s

Health Insurance Program incentive 

payments for providers in disaster areas. HHS

• The American Medical Association should 

adopt a new code or code modifier to the 

Current Procedural Terminology to reflect 

disaster medical care in order to facilitate 

tracking of these services and as a means 

for enhanced reimbursement from public 

and private payers. X Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories and Localities Relevant Federal Agencies States, Tribes, Territories, and Localities Non-Governmental Entities
148 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

3.6: EPA should engage State and local 

health officials and non-governmental 

experts to develop and promote national 

guidance and best practices on reoccupancy of homes, schools, child care, 

and other child congregate care facilities

in disaster-impacted areas. EPA

• EPA and HHS should expand research on 

pediatric environmental health risks EPA 

associated with disasters. HHS

4. Emergency Medical Services and Pediatric Transport

4.1: The President and Congress should 

clearly designate and appropriately 

resource a lead Federal agency for 

emergency medical services (EMS) with 

primary responsibility for the coordination 

of grant programs, research, policy, and 

standards development and implementation. X X

• Establish a dedicated Federal grant program

under a designated lead Federal agency 

for pre-hospital EMS disaster preparedness,

including pediatric equipment and training. X

4.2: Improve the capability of emergency

medical services (EMS) to transport 

pediatric patients and provide DHS

comprehensive pre-hospital pediatric HHS

care during daily operations and disasters. DOT X X 

• Congress should provide full funding to 

the Emergency Medical Services for 

Children (EMSC) program to ensure all 

States and territories meet targets and 

achieve progress in the EMSC performance

measures for grantees, and to support 

development of a research portfolio. X Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories

and Localities

RelevantFederalAgencies

States, Tribes, Territories,and Localities

Non-GovernmentalEntities
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 149

• As an eligibility guideline for Centers for 

Medicare & Medicaid Services 

reimbursement, require first response and 

emergency medical response vehicles to 

acquire and maintain pediatric equipment 

and supplies in accordance with the national

guidelines for equipment for Basic Life 

Support and Advanced Life Support vehicles. HHS

• HHS and DHS should establish stronger 

pediatric EMS performance measures 

within relevant Federal emergency HHS

preparedness grant programs. DHS

• HHS should address the findings of the 

EMSC 2009 Gap Analysis of EMS Related 

Research. HHS

4.3: HHS should develop a national

strategy to improve Federal pediatric 

emergency transport and patient care 

capabilities for disasters. HHS

• Conduct a national review of existing 

capabilities among relevant government 

agencies and the private sector for 

emergency medical transport of children. HHS

5. Disaster Case Management

5.1: Disaster case management programs 

should be appropriately resourced and 

should provide consistent holistic services 

that achieve tangible, positive outcomes for HHS

children and families affected by the disaster. X X DHS/FEMA X X

• The Executive Branch and Congress should 

provide sufficient funds to build, support, 

and deploy a disaster case management HHS

system with nationwide capacity. X X DHS/FEMA Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories and Localities Relevant Federal Agencies

States, Tribes, Territories,and Localities

Non-GovernmentalEntities
150 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

• DHS/FEMA should clarify the transition 

from Federal to State-led disaster case 

management programs. DHS/FEMA

• Government agencies and nongovernmental organizations should 

develop voluntary consensus standards

on the essential elements and methods of 

disaster case management, including precredentialing of case managers and 

training that includes focused attention HHS

to the needs of children and families. DHS/FEMA X X

6. Child Care and Early Education

6.1: Congress and HHS should improve 

disaster preparedness capabilities for 

child care. X HHS X

• Congress and HHS should require States 

to include disaster planning, training, and

exercise requirements within the scope of 

their minimum health and safety standards

for child care licensure or registration. X HHS

• Congress should provide HHS the 

authority to require States to develop 

statewide child care disaster plans in 

coordination with State and local 

emergency managers, public health, 

State child care administrators and 

regulatory agencies, and child care 

resource and referral agencies. X HHS

6.2: Congress and Federal agencies should 

improve capacity to provide child care DHS/FEMA

services in the immediate aftermath of HHS

and recovery from a disaster. X SBA Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories and Localities Relevant Federal Agencies

States, Tribes, Territoriesand Localities

Non-GovernmentalEntities
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 151

• DHS/FEMA should revise its Public 

Assistance regulations to codify child care 

as an essential service. DHS/FEMA

• Congress should codify child care as an 

“essential service of a governmental 

nature” in the Stafford Act. X

• Federal agencies should incorporate child 

care as an essential service in the National 

Response Framework, the National 

Disaster Recovery Framework, the National DHS/FEMA

Disaster Housing Concept of Operations, HHS

and Disaster Housing Practitioners’ Guide. SBA

• Congress should authorize a grant funding 

mechanism, such as an emergency 

contingency fund, to repair or rebuild 

private, for-profit child care facilities, 

support the establishment of temporary 

child care, and reimburse States for 

subsidizing child care services to 

disaster-affected families. X

6.3: HHS should require disaster 

preparedness capabilities for Head Start 

Centers and basic disaster mental health 

training for staff. HHS

7. Elementary and Secondary Education

7.1: Congress and Federal agencies should 

improve the preparedness of schools and 

school districts by providing additional DHS/FEMA 

support to States. X ED 

• Congress and ED should award disaster 

preparedness grants to State education 

agencies to oversee, coordinate, and 

improve disaster planning, training, and 

exercises statewide and ensure that all 

districts within the State meet certain 

baseline criteria. X ED Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories and Localities Relevant Federal Agencies

States, Tribes, Territories,and Localities

Non-GovernmentalEntities
152 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

●

• DHS/FEMA should partner with ED to 

provide funding and other resources to 

support disaster preparedness efforts of 

State and local education agencies, 

including collaborative planning, training, 

and exercises with emergency DHS/FEMA

management officials. ED

7.2: Congress and ED should enhance the 

ability of school personnel to support 

children who are traumatized, grieving, or 

otherwise recovering from a disaster. X ED

• Congress and ED should award funds to 

States to implement and evaluate training 

and professional development programs 

in basic skills in providing support to 

grieving students and students in crisis and

establish statewide requirements related 

to teacher certification and recertification. X ED

7.3: Ensure that school systems recovering 

from disasters are provided immediate 

resources to reopen and restore the 

learning environment in a timely manner 

and provide support for displaced students DHS/FEMA

and their host schools. X ED

• Congress should create a permanent 

funding mechanism to support recovery 

for schools and students. X

• Congress should establish an emergency 

ontingency fund within the Education for 

Homeless Children and Youth program 

and expeditiously provide grants to school 

districts serving an influx of displaced 

children. X Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories

and Localities

RelevantFederalAgencies

States, Tribes, Territories,and Localities

Non-GovernmentalEntities
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 153

• Congress and ED should support the 

immediate provision of expert technical 

assistance and consultation regarding 

services and interventions to address 

disaster mental health needs of students 

and school personnel. X ED

• DHS/FEMA, ED, and other Federal 

agencies should clarify, consolidate, and 

publicize information related to the 

recovery programs, assistance, and services

(e.g., transportation to schools) currently 

available to school systems through the DHS/FEMA

Stafford Act and other Federal sources. ED

8. Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

8.1: Ensure that State and local child welfare HHS

agencies adequately prepare for disasters. X DHS/FEMA X

• Congress should request a national 

assessment of child welfare disaster 

planning to determine if significant 

advances have been made since passage 

of the Child and Family Services 

Improvement Act of 2006 (CFSIA). X HHS

• HHS should develop detailed disaster 

planning criteria by regulation or other 

formal policy guidance to supplement the 

basic procedures mandated in CFSIA. HHS

• Within each ACF regional office, child 

welfare staff and the region’s emergency 

management specialist should 

collaboratively review and evaluate the 

State child welfare disaster plans required 

by CFSIA and assist States in developing 

comprehensive plans and meeting their 

statutory obligations. HHS Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories and Localities Relevant Federal Agencies

States, Tribes, Territories,and Localities

Non-GovernmentalEntities
154 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

• DHS/FEMA and HHS should provide 

funding, guidance, and technical assistance

to child welfare agencies and encourage 

collaboration with emergency management, DHS/FEMA

courts, and other key stakeholders. HHS

8.2: Ensure that State and local juvenile 

justice agencies and all residential treatment,

correctional, and detention facilities that 

house children adequately prepare DHS/FEMA

for disasters. X DOJ X X 

• Congress should require State and local 

juvenile justice agencies and all residential

treatment, correctional, and detention 

facilities that house children to have 

comprehensive disaster plans in place. X

• DHS/FEMA and DOJ should support 

disaster planning for State and local 

juvenile justice agencies and residential 

treatment, correctional, and detention 

facilities that house children by providing DHS/FEMA

funding, technical assistance, and training. DOJ

8.3: HHS and DOJ should ensure that 

juvenile, dependency, and other courts 

hearing matters involving children HHS

adequately prepare for disasters. DOJ X X

• HHS should include disaster preparedness

as a component of the Court Improvement

Program for dependency courts. HHS

• DOJ should include disaster preparedness 

as a component of the proposed National 

Juvenile Delinquency Court Improvement 

Program. DOJ

• DOJ and the National Council of Juvenile 

and Family Court Judges should 

incorporate disaster preparedness into the 

Model Courts program. DOJ X Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories and Localities Relevant Federal Agencies States, Tribes, Territories, and Localities Non-Governmental Entities
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 155

9. Sheltering Standards, Services, and Supplies

9.1: Government agencies and nongovernmental organizations should provide 

a safe and secure mass care shelter 

environment for children, including access DHS/FEMA

to essential services and supplies. HHS X X 

• Implement national standards and 

indicators for mass care shelters that are 

specific and responsive to children. DHS/FEMA X X 

• Integrate essential age-appropriate shelter 

supplies for infants and children into 

shelter planning and fund the addition of 

child-specific supplies to caches for 

immediate deployment to support shelter 

operations. DHS/FEMA X X 

• Implement common standards and training,

including standards for criminal 

background checks, to mitigate risks unique

to children in shelters such as child 

abduction and sex offenders. DHS/FEMA X X

10. Housing

10.1: Prioritize the needs of families with 

children, especially families with children

who have disabilities or chronic health, DHS/FEMA

mental health, or educational needs, HUD

within disaster housing assistance programs. HHS X X

• Government agencies and nongovernmental organizations should ensure 

that families with children in disaster 

housing, especially community sites, have 

access to needed services and are DHS/FEMA

provided safe and healthy living HUD

environments. HHS X X Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories and Localities Relevant Federal Agencies States, Tribes, Territories and Localities Non-Governmental Entities
156 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

• Congress should authorize DHS/FEMA to

reimburse State and local governments 

for providing wrap-around services to 

children and families in community sites. X

• DHS/FEMA should develop clear written 

guidance around emergency transportation

planning and reimbursement for State 

and local governments that addresses the

recovery needs of children and families. DHS/FEMA

• Government agencies and nongovernmental organizations should 

identify and promote innovative programs

to expedite the transition into permanent DHS/FEMA

housing for families with children. HUD X X

11. Evacuation

11.1 Congress and Federal agencies should 

provide sufficient funding to develop and

deploy a national information sharing 

capability to quickly and effectively 

reunite displaced children with their DHS

families, guardians, and caregivers when HHS

separated by a disaster. X DoD

• DHS should lead the development of a 

nationwide information technology 

capability to collect, share, and search 

data from any patient and evacuee 

tracking or family reunification system. DHS

• DHS should support the development of 

voluntary consensus-driven standards for 

data collection and data sharing through

a joint Federal, non-Federal, and private 

sector process. DHS Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories and Localities Relevant Federal Agencies

States, Tribes, Territories,and Localities

Non-GovernmentalEntities
• Government agencies should ensure the 

collection of appropriate data on DHS/FEMA

evacuated children, particularly HHS

unaccompanied minors. DoD

11.2: Disaster plans at all levels of 

government must specifically address the 

evacuation and transportation needs of 

children with disabilities and chronic 

health needs, in coordination with child 

congregate care facilities such as schools, 

child care, and health care facilities. DHS/FEMA X

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 157 Relevant Federal President Agencies States, Tribes, Congress Territories and Localities Relevant Federal Agencies States, Tribes, Territories, and Localities Non-Governmental Entities
158 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

Appendix C: Model Executive Order or Resolution Creating a 

“Cabinet on Children and Disasters and Children and Disasters 

Advisory Council”

WHEREAS, the citizens of [jurisdiction] are entitled to an expectation of effective

preparedness, protection and leadership before, during, and after any domestic emergency

or disaster; and 

WHEREAS, children under 18 years old are more than [number] percent of the population

in [jurisdiction] and have unique needs that must be addressed in emergency and disaster

planning and management; and 

WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of [jurisdiction] to marshal available resources to

determine how best to prepare for, respond to and recover from an emergency or disaster

for all citizens, including children; and 

WHEREAS, the establishment of the [Executive branch leader’s] Cabinet on Children and

Disasters and the Children and Disasters Advisory Council will serve to strengthen

emergency and disaster preparedness, response and recovery with respect to children. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, [name], [Executive branch leader] of [jurisdiction], by virtue of the

authority vested in me by the [jurisdiction or law], do hereby establish the [Executive

branch leader’s] Cabinet on Children and Disasters and the Children and Disasters

Advisory Council.

1. [Executive branch leader’s] Cabinet on Children and Disasters.

a. Purpose. The purpose of the [Executive branch leader’s] Cabinet on Children and

Disasters (hereinafter “Cabinet”) is to ensure that the [jurisdiction] appropriately

supports the safety and security of children, including children with disabilities,

before, during and after emergencies and disasters, including earthquakes,

tornadoes, fires, floods, hurricanes, and acts of terrorism. It further shall be the

purpose of the Cabinet to ensure that executive departments and agencies

continually: 

i) identify and address gaps in emergency and disaster preparedness, mitigation,

response, and recovery for children; and 

ii) facilitate cooperation and coordination among federal, state, local, and tribal

governments and private organizations and individuals in the implementation of

emergency and disaster preparedness plans as they relate to children. 

b. Responsibilities. The Cabinet shall advise the [Executive branch leader] on matters

related to children and disasters including the direction of resources to develop and

implement the [jurisdiction’s] Children and Disasters Strategy. In coordinating the

[jurisdiction’s] children and disaster multi-agency planning, the Cabinet shall

facilitate the analysis of administrative, fiscal, statutory and regulatory policies and

practices and conduct a gap analysis and risk assessment of current practices.
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 159

The Cabinet shall not be responsible for day-to-day operations of the departments,

agencies, commissions, and offices with a disaster preparedness and/or response

purview or regulatory function. In addition, members of the Cabinet shall report to

the [Executive branch leader’s Chief of Staff or equivalent] for any and all

accountabilities related to the [jurisdiction’s] Children and Disaster Strategy.

c. Composition and Appointments. The Cabinet shall consist of the following officials

and individuals [from equivalent or applicable offices]: 

(1) Secretary of Human Services. 

(2) Director of Emergency Management. 

(3) Secretary of Public Health. 

(4) Secretary of the Budget.

(5) Secretary of Education.

(6) Secretary of Environmental Protection.

(7) Director of Juvenile Justice Services.

(8) General Counsel. 

(9) Secretary of General Services.

(10) Secretary of Legislative Affairs.

(11) Secretary of Planning and Policy.

(12) Chief Law Enforcement Officer. 

(13) Additional members as appointed by the [Executive branch leader]. 

d. Chair. The [individual responsible for public health, human services or emergency

management] shall chair the Cabinet, convene and preside at its meetings,

determine its agenda, direct its work, and, as appropriate to particular subject

matters, establish and direct subgroups of the Cabinet. 

e. Reporting. The Cabinet shall submit to the [Executive branch leader] each year

beginning one year after the date of this [Executive Order or Resolution] a report

that describes:

(1) findings and recommendations of the Cabinet for advancing the purpose and

responsibilities set forth in section 1;

(2) the achievements of the Cabinet in implementing the purpose and

responsibilities set forth in section 1; and

(3) the best practices among federal, state, local, and tribal governments and private

organizations and individuals for emergency preparedness planning with

respect to children.
2. Children and Disasters Advisory Council. 

a. Composition and Appointment. The Disasters Advisory Council (hereinafter

referred to as “Advisory Council”) shall consist of stakeholder experts

recommended by the Cabinet and appointed by the [Executive branch leader]. The

[Executive branch leader] shall appoint the Chair of the Advisory Council.

b. Purpose and Responsibilities: The Advisory Council shall advise the Cabinet on

matters relating to preparedness and planning for children in the event of a major

domestic disaster. 

c. Terms. All Advisory Council members shall serve at the pleasure of the [Executive

branch leader]. 

d. Compensation. Members of the Advisory Council shall serve without compensation

for their services except that such members may be reimbursed the necessary and

actual expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Advisory Council and in the

performance of their duties in accordance with established policy. 

3. Relationship with Other Agencies. All agencies under the [Executive branch leader’s]

jurisdiction shall cooperate with and provide assistance and support to the Cabinet and the

Advisory Council. Policy and process experts from the [jurisdiction] shall be available to

the Cabinet to aid its mission. 

4. Effective Date. This [Executive Order or Resolution] shall take effect immediately. 

5. Termination Date. This [Executive Order or Resolution] shall remain in effect unless

revised or rescinded. 

160 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Appendix D. Children and Disasters: the Role of State and Local 

Governments in Protecting This Vulnerable Population

Children under the age of 18 comprise about 25 percent of our population and have unique

needs when an emergency or disaster strikes.

The National Commission on Children and Disasters is a bipartisan, independent body

authorized by Congress to examine children’s needs as they relate to preparation for,

response to, and recovery from all hazards, including major disasters and emergencies. The

Commission reports its findings and recommendations to the President and Congress. 

Children require specific recognition, planning, and coordination between Federal, State,

tribal, and local governments, and their non-governmental disaster-relief partners. The

Commission developed a framework of essential elements for State and local governments

to consider when addressing children in their emergency plans.

• Determine the demographics of your child population (age 0-18), including children

with disabilities and special health care needs.

• Identify places children will most likely be when under supervised care (school, preschool, child care, summer camps, group homes, juvenile justice facilities).

• Include needs of children in disaster training, exercises, and equipment purchases. 

• Evaluate performance in meeting needs of children during exercises/drills and in afteraction reports.

• Designate a focal point of responsibility for coordinating children’s needs.

• Design an evacuation plan that provides transportation for children with their families

and caregivers, especially children with disabilities.

• Include child tracking and family reunification procedures in disaster plans. 

• Provide safe, accessible shelter environments for children and families, including

essential age-appropriate supplies and care for medically-dependent children.

• Develop capability of emergency personnel to provide effective pre-hospital pediatric

transport and medical care (training and supplies).

• Develop capability of hospital emergency departments to provide effective care for

children (training and supplies).

• Provide basic psychological first aid training for emergency personnel to assist

children.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 161
• Support disaster plans, training, and drills for child congregate care providers that

include evacuation, reunification, and addressing children with disabilities or chronic

health needs.

• Plan for establishing emergency child care. 

• Identify resources in county and surrounding counties to address a surge in children’s

needs, especially health and mental health needs.

• Develop a long-term disaster recovery plan that addresses the needs of children and

families (housing, schools, child care, health, and mental health).

162 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 163

Appendix E. Standards and Indicators for Disaster Shelter Care for Children

Updated June 2010

Purpose

To provide guidance to shelter managers and staff that ensures children have a safe, secure

environment during and after a disaster—including appropriate support and access to

essential resources.

Standards and Indicators for All Shelters

• Under most circumstances, a parent, guardian, or caregiver is expected to be the

primary resource for his or her children, ages 18 and younger. 

• In cases where parents or guardians are not with their children, local law enforcement

personnel and local child protective/child welfare services must be contacted to assist

with reunification. 

• Children are sheltered together with their families or caregivers.

• Every effort is made to designate an area for families away from the general shelter

population. 

• Family areas should have direct access to bathrooms. 

• Parents, guardians, and caregivers are notified that they are expected to accompany

their children when they use the bathrooms.

• Every effort is made to set aside space for family interaction: 

o This space is free from outside news sources, thereby reducing a child’s repeated

exposure to coverage of the disaster. 

o If age-appropriate toys are available, they will be in this space, with play

supervised by parents, guardians, or caregivers. 

• Shared environmental surfaces in shelters that are frequently touched by children’s

hands or other body parts should be cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis. Highcontact areas may include diaper changing surfaces, communal toys, sinks, toilets,

doorknobs, and floors. These surfaces should be cleaned daily with a 1:10 bleach

solution or a commercial equivalent disinfectant based on the manufacturer’s cleaning

instructions. Local health department authorities may be consulted for further

infection control guidance.

• When children exhibit signs of illness, staff will refer children to on-site or local health

services personnel for evaluation and will obtain consent from a parent, guardian, or

caretaker whenever possible.
• When children exhibit signs of emotional stress, staff will refer children to on-site or

local disaster mental health personnel and will obtain consent from a parent, guardian,

or caretaker whenever possible. 

• Children in the shelters come in all ages and with unique needs. Age-appropriate and

nutritious food (including baby formula and baby food) and snacks are available as

soon as possible after needs are identified. 

• Diapers are available for infants and children as soon as possible after needs are

identified. General guidelines suggest that infants and toddlers need up to 12 diapers a

day. 

• Age-appropriate bedding, including folding, portable cribs or playpens are also

available. 

• A safe space for breastfeeding women is provided so they may have privacy and a

sense of security and support. (This can include a curtained-off area or providing

blankets for privacy.)

• Basins and supplies for bathing infants are provided as soon as possible after needs are

identified. 

Standards and Indicators for Temporary Respite Care for Children

Temporary respite care for children provides temporary relief for children, parents,

guardians, or caregivers. It is a secure, supervised, and supportive play experience for

children in a disaster recovery center, assistance center, shelter, or other service delivery

site. When placing their child or children in this area, parents, guardians, or caregivers are

required to stay on-site in the disaster recovery center, assistance center, or shelter or

designate a person to be responsible for their child or children, who shall also be required

to stay on-site. 

In cases where temporary respite care for children is provided in a disaster recovery center,

assistance center, shelter, or other service delivery site, the following standards and

indicators shall apply:

• Temporary respite care for children is provided in a safe, secure environment following

a disaster.

• Temporary respite care for children is responsive and equitable. Location, hours of

operation, and other information about temporary respite care for children is provided

and easy for parents, guardians, and caregivers to understand. 

• All local, State and Federal laws, regulations, and codes that relate to temporary respite

care for children are followed.

• The temporary respite care for children area is free from significant physical hazards

and/or architectural barriers and remains fully accessible to all children. 

164 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
• The temporary respite care for children area has enclosures or dividers to protect

children and ensure that children are supervised in a secure environment.

• The temporary respite care for children area is placed close to restrooms and a

drinking water source; hand washing and or hand sanitizer stations are available in the

temporary respite care for children area. 

• Procedures are in place to sign children in and out of the temporary respite care for

children area and to ensure children are released only to the parent(s), guardian(s),

caregiver(s), or designee(s) listed on the registration form.

• All documents--such as attendance records and registration forms (which include

identifying information and parent, guardian, or caregiver names and contact

information); information about allergies and other special needs; and injury and/or

incident report forms--are provided, maintained, and available to staff at all times. 

• Toys and materials in the temporary respite area are safe and age-appropriate.

• Prior to working in the temporary respite care for children area, all shelter staff

members must receive training and orientation. In addition, such staff must

successfully complete a criminal and sexual offender background check. Spontaneous

volunteers are not permitted. When inside the temporary respite area, staff shall visibly

display proper credentials above the waist at all times. 

• When children are present, at least two adults are to be present at all times. No child

should be left alone with one adult who is not the parent, guardian, or caregiver. 

• All staff members must be 18 years of age or older. Supervision of the temporary

respite care for children area is provided by a staff person at least 21 years of age. 

• An evacuation plan will be developed with a designated meeting place outside the

center. The evacuation plan will be posted and communicated to parent(s),

caregiver(s), and guardian(s) when registering their child. 

• The child-to-staff ratio is appropriate to the space available and to the ages and needs

of the children in the temporary respite care for children area at any time.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 165
Appendix F. Supplies for Infants and Toddlers in Mass Care Shelters

and Emergency Congregate Care Facilities

Updated June 2010

This document was facilitated by the National Commission on Children and Disasters with

guidance from subject matter experts in emergency management and pediatric care. The

document identifies basic supplies necessary to sustain and support 10 infants and children

up to 3 years of age for a 24-hour period. The guidance is scalable to accommodate 10 or

more children over a longer period of time.

The National Commission on Children and Disasters recommends State and local

jurisdictions provide caches of supplies to support the care of children in mass care shelters

and emergency congregate care facilities for a minimum of 72 hours. The amount of

supplies cached in an area should be based upon the potential number of children up to 3

years of age that could be populating the local shelters and facilities for a minimum of 72

hours, as determined by an assessment of current demographic data for the jurisdiction. 

Depending on the nature of the event, a 24-72 hour supply of essential child-specific

supplies should be on site prior to the opening of a shelter or facility. In situations where

this is not possible, supplies should still be available for immediate delivery to the shelter,

when children are sheltered, within 3 hours (for example, through local vendor agreements,

supply caches, interagency mutual aid, etc.). 

Such a level of preparedness is critical due to the high vulnerability of this population.

(Guidance begins on next page.)

166 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 167

Recommended Perishable Supplies for Immediate Delivery Within 3 Hours

Quantity Description Comment

40 Jars Baby food - Stage 2 (jar size is Combination of vegetables, fruits,

3.5 - 4 oz.) cereals, meats

1 Box Cereal - single grain cereal Rice, barley, oatmeal, or a combination 

(16oz) preferrede.g., rice, barley, oatmeal) of these grains

See Note Diaper wipes -- fragrance free Minimum of 200 wipes

(hypoallergenic)

40 Diapers - Size 1 (up to 14 lbs.)

40 Diapers - Size 2 (12 - 18 lbs.) Initial supply should include one

40 Diapers - Size 3 (16 - 28 lbs.) package of each size diaper, with no

40 Diapers - Size 4 (22 - 37 lbs.) less than 40 count of each size.

40 Diapers - Size 5 (27 lbs. +)

40 Pull Ups 4T - 5T (38 lbs. +)

320 oz. Formula, milk-based, ready to 

feed (already mixed with water) ++

64 oz. Formula, hypoallergenic- Breastfeeding is the best nutritional

hydrolyzed protein, ready to option for children and should be

feed (already mixed with water) ++ strongly encouraged.

64 oz. Formula, soy-based, ready to feed 

(already mixed with water) ++

1 Quart Oral electrolyte solution for Do not use sports drinks. The exact 

children, ready-to-use, unflavored - amount to be given, and for how long,

Dispensed by medical/health should be determined by an appropriate

authority in shelter ++ medical authority (doctor or nurse) and 

based on the degree of dehydration. To 

be used in the event that an infant or 

child experiences vomiting or diarrhea. 

See Note Nutritional supplement drinks for ** Not for infants under 12 months of

kids/children, ready-to-drink age ** Requirement is a total of 0

- Dispensed by medical/health 40-12 fl. oz. per day; in no larger

authority in shelter than 8 oz. bottles.

Note: See “Supplemental Information” for additional information regarding the items followed by “++.” 
168 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

Non-Perishable Supplies & Equipment

Quantity Description Comment

25 Infant feeding bottles 4 - 6 oz. size preferred (to address

(plastic only) ++ lack of refrigeration)

30 Infant feeding spoons ++ Specifically designed for feeding infants 

with a soft tip and small width. Can be 

used for younger children as well.

50 Nipples for baby bottles 2 per bottle

(non-latex standard) ++

25 Diaper rash ointment (petroleum Small bottles or tubes

jelly, or zinc-oxide based)

100 pads Disposable changing pads At least 13x18 in size. Quantity is based 

on 8-10 diaper changes per infant per day

10 Infant bathing basin Thick plastic non-foldable basin. Basin 

should be at least 12" x10" x 4".

See Note Infant wash, hypoallergenic Either bottle(s) of baby wash (minimum 

100 oz.), which can be "dosed out" in a 

disposable cup (1/8 cup per day per 

child) or 1 travel size (2 oz.) bottle to 

last ~48 hrs per child.

10 Wash cloths Terry cloth/cotton - at least one per child 

to last the 72 hr period

10 Towels (for drying after bathing) Terry cloth/cotton - at least one per child 

to last the 72 hr period

2 sets Infant hat and booties ++ Issued by medical/health authority in 

shelter

10 Lightweight blankets (to avoid Should be hypoallergenic, (e.g., cotton,

suffocation risk) cotton flannel, or polyester fleece)

5 Folding, portable cribs or playpens To provide safe sleeping environments 

for infants up to 12 months of age

2 Toddler potty seat That can be placed on the seat of an 

adult toilet, with handles for support. 

One each should be located in both a 

Men's and Women's restroom

1 pack Electrical receptacle covers Minimum 30 (Note: Prioritize covering 

outlets in areas where children and 

families congregate (family sleeping area,

children’s areas, etc.)

Note: See “Supplemental Information” for additional information regarding the items followed by “++.” 
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 169

Other Recommended Perishable Supplies 

Quantity Description Comment

40 Baby food – stage 1 (jar size ~ Combination of vegetables, fruits,

2.5 oz) cereals, meats

40 Baby food - stage 3 (jar size ~ 6 oz) Combination of vegetables, fruits, 

cereals, meats

40 Diapers - preemie size (up to 6 lbs.) As needed for shelter population

Healthy snacks that are safe to eat Should be low sugar, low sodium:

and do not pose a choking hazard yogurt, applesauce, fruit dices (soft)

(intended for children 2 years (e.g., peaches, pears, bananas), veggie

and older) dices (soft) (e.g., carrots), 100% real fruit

bite-sized snacks, real fruit bars (soft), 

low sugar/whole grain breakfast cereals 

and/or cereal bars, crackers (e.g., whole

grain, "oyster"/mini)

Other Recommended Non-Perishable Supplies and Equipment

Quantity Description Comment

10 Sip cups (support for toddlers) ++

Note: See “Supplemental Information” for additional information regarding the items followed by “++.”
170 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

Supplemental Information

Description Supplemental Notes

Formula Use of a powered formula is at the discretion of the jurisdiction or 

shelter operator. If using powdered formula, preparation of the 

formula should be conducted by appropriately trained food 

preparation workers. Water used should be from an identified 

potable water source (bottled water should be used if there is any 

concern about the quality of tap or well water). 

Hypoallergenic hydrolyzed formula can be provided in powdered 

form—(1) 400 gram can—but only if potable water is accessible. 

Infant feeding Each time nutritional fluids, formula and/or other infant feeding 

bottles and nipples measures (including breast milk in a bottle) are distributed by 

trained, designated shelter staff and/or medical professionals, clean, 

sterilized bottles and nipples must be used. Note: After use, bottles 

are to be returned to the designated location for appropriate 

sterilization (and/or disposal). Bottle feeding for infants and 

children is a 24/7 operation and considerations must be in place to 

provide bottle feeding as needed. (On average, infants eat at 

minimum 5-8 times daily.) 

Note to staff: Sterilizing and cleaning 

Sterilize bottles and nipples before you use them for the first time 

by putting them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Nipples and bottles 

should be cleaned and sterilized before each feeding. If disposable 

bottles and nipples are not available and more durable bottles and 

nipples will be re-used, they must be fully sterilized before each 

feeding. To the greatest extent possible bottles and nipples should 

be used by only one child. 

In the event parents want to use their own bottles and nipples, 

shelter staff should provide support for cleaning these items 

between feedings. Such support includes access to appropriate 

facilities for cleaning (not public restrooms).
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 171

Supplemental Information

Description Supplemental Notes

Note regarding all There is a specific concern with cleaning and sanitizing of all 

feeding implements feeding implements associated with infants and children (infant 

for infants/children feeding bottles/nipples, spoons, sip cups, etc). These items will 

require additional attention by food preparation staff to ensure they 

are sanitary as a means of reducing foodborne illness. 

Medical/health staff should be consulted on best means of raising 

awareness among shelter residents and enlisting their support for 

these extra sanitary measures.

Feeding implements such as spoons and sip cups should be cleaned 

using hot soapy water provided potable water is available. When 

the item is being cleaned to give to another child the item must 

be sterilized. 

For the following Consider pre-packaging the listed items together and providing 

items: infant bathing one package to each family with children. Note: additional blankets 

basin, lightweight and towels will be necessary for families with more than one child. 

blankets, diaper rash

ointment, wash 

cloths, and towels
172 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

Appendix G. Subcommittee Members and Other Contributors

The Commission greatly appreciates the assistance of the following Federal agencies in

providing helpful guidance and information used in the preparation of this report: 

Corporation for National and Community Service

Department of Defense

Department of Education 

Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Homeland Security

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Department of Justice

Environmental Protection Agency

National Council on Disability

National Guard Bureau 

U.S. Access Board

The Commission also thanks the following individuals who participated on Subcommittees:

Human Services Recovery Subcommittee 

Commissioners

Irwin Redlener, Chair

David Schonfeld, Vice-Chair 

Merry Carlson

Sheila Leslie

Mark Shriver

Federal Representatives

Sarah Field, Department of Health and Human Services 

Katherine Fox, Department of Homeland Security
Non-Federal Representatives

David Abramson, National Center for Disaster Preparedness

Robin Gurwitch, National Center for Child Traumatic Stress

Cheryl Peterson, American Nurses Association

Augustina Reyes, University of Houston

Monteic Sizer, Louisiana Family Recovery Corps

Linda Smith, National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies

Giovanni Taylor-Peace, Habitat for Humanity

Evacuation, Transportation, and Housing Subcommittee 

Commissioners

Bruce Lockwood, Chair

Lawrence Tan, Vice-Chair

Ernest Allen

Graydon “Gregg” Lord

Michael Anderson

Federal Representatives

Andrew Garrett, Department of Health and Human Services

Martin Gould, National Council on Disability 

Marsha Mazz, U.S. Access Board

Vince Pearce, Department of Transportation 

Mark Tinsman, Department of Homeland Security

Non-Federal Representatives

Judy Bezon, Brethren Disaster Ministries, Children’s Disaster Services

Jeanne Aimee DeMarrais, Save the Children

Kathleen Henning, International Association of Emergency Managers

David Lurie, National Association of County & City Health Officials

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 173
174 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT

Richard Muth, National Emergency Management Association

Trevor Riggen, American Red Cross

Paul Schwartz, Department of Homeland Security, RET

Donna Swarts, Southern Baptist Disaster Ministries

Pediatric Medical Care Subcommittee

Commissioners:

Michael Anderson, Chair

Graydon “Gregg” Lord, Vice-Chair

Bruce Lockwood

Irwin Redlener

Lawrence Tan

Federal Representatives

Andrew Garrett, Department of Health and Human Services

Sally Phillips, Department of Health and Human Services

David Siegel, Department of Health and Human Services

Tasmeen Singh Weik, Department of Health and Human Services

Non-Federal Representatives

Susan Dull, National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions

Geraldine Fitzgerald, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

Linda Juszczak, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

Steve Krug, Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago

Sharon Mace, American College of Emergency Physicians 

Jerry Paulson, Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment

Cindy Pellegrini, American Academy of Pediatrics

Shirley Schantz, National Association of School Nurses

Jeffrey Upperman, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 175

Education, Child Welfare, and Juvenile Justice Subcommittee 

Commissioners:

Sheila Leslie, Chair

David Schonfeld, Vice-Chair

Mark Shriver

Ernest Allen

Merry Carlson

Federal Representatives

Kathi Grasso, Department of Justice

Bill Modzeleski, Department of Education

Non-Federal Representatives

Kay Aaby, National Association of County & City Health Officials

Pat Cooper, Early Childhood and Family Learning Foundation

Patrick Chaulk, Annie E. Casey Foundation

Howard Davidson, American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law

Barbara Duffield, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth 

Vincent Giordano, formerly of the New York Academy of Medicine, Office of School Health

Programs

Gina S. Kahn, Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (MA)

Ned Loughran, Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators

Pegi McEvoy, Seattle Public Schools 

Michael Nash, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

MaryEllen Salamone, Families of September 11th

Carole Shauffer, Youth Law Center

Lisa Soronen, National School Boards Association

Gregory A. Thomas, National Center for Disaster Preparedness

Marleen Wong, LAUSD/RAND/UCLA Trauma Services Adaptation Center for Schools and 

Communities
Also, the Commissioners wish to thank the following individuals for their important

contributions and coordination assistance:

Terry Adirim, Department of Homeland Security

Stephanie Bardack, Department of Health and Human Services

Daniel Dodgen, Department of Health and Human Services

Margi Grady, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 

Kelly Johnson, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Lauralee Koziol, Department of Homeland Security

Roberta Lavin, Department of Health and Human Services, RET

Janet Leigh, Department of Health and Human Services

Scott Pestridge, Department of Justice

Sally Phillips, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 

Olivia Sparer, Department of Health and Human Services

Cheryl Vincent, Department of Health and Human Services

Tracy Wareing, Department of Homeland Security

176 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Appendix H. Stakeholder Outreach

The National Commission on Children and Disasters requested information, reports,

research findings, and policy recommendations from the following non-governmental

organizations:

American Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Pediatrics†*§^ 

American Association of School Administrators

American Association on Health and Disability^

American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law†* 

American College of Emergency Physicians†*^ 

American College of Nurse-Midwives

American Federation of Teachers*^

American Institutes for Research^

American Medical Association

American Nurses Association†^

American Public Health Association

American Red Cross†*^

America's Promise

Amnesty International^

Annie E. Casey Foundation† 

Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs*^§

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials§

Association of the Schools of Public Health, Centers for Public Health Preparedness 

Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses

Brethren Disaster Ministries, Children's Disaster Services†^

Catholic Charities USA†

Center for Education Reform

Center for Health and Homeland Security, University of Maryland^

Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters^

Children and Family Futures

Children's Defense Fund

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles^

Children in Disasters Project, Rainbow Center for Global Child Health^

Children's National Medical Center^

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 177
Children’s Research Center^

Church World Service

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center^

CityMatch

Coalition for Global School Safety

Congressional Research Service^§

Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators† 

Council of State Governments

CYJ Enterprises, LLC^

Early Childhood and Family Learning Foundation† 

Education Commission of the States

Emergency Management Assistance Compact Advisory Group§

Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana† 

Families of September 11th † 

Feeding America*

First Star

Food Research and Action Center§^

Habitat for Humanity*^

Health Care Centers in Schools†

Health Sciences Center, Louisiana State University^

Home Safety Council

Information Sciences Institute, University of Southern California^

Institute of Women's Policy Research

International Association of Chiefs of Police

International Association of Emergency Managers†*^

International Association of Emergency Medical Services Chiefs

International Association of Fire Chiefs*

International City/County Management Association

KidSafety of America^

LAUSD/RAND/UCLA Trauma Services Adaptation Center for Schools and 

Communities† 

Louisiana Family Recovery Corps†*^

Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota^

March of Dimes

178 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Mississippi Coast Interfaith Disaster Task Force

National Alliance for Hispanic Health^

National Assembly on School-Based Health Care*

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth†*

National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies†* 

National Association of Children's Hospitals

National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions†^

National Association of Counties§

National Association of County & City Health Officials†*§

National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians*

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners†*^

National Association of School Nurses†^

National Association of School Psychologists^

National Association of State Boards of Education

National Association of State EMS Officials§

National Center for Child Traumatic Stress† 

National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University†

National Center for Homeless Education^

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children†*^

National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement* 

National Child Traumatic Stress Network

National Coalition on Children and Disasters§

National Conference of State Legislatures§

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges†^

National Education Association*

National Emergency Management Association†*§

National Emergency Medical Services Association

National Governor's Association§

National Homeland Security Consortium§

National League of Cities*§

National School Boards Association†*^ 

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster†

Nemours, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children^

Philips Healthcare^

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 179
Planning and Learning Technologies, Inc.^

Poverty & Race Research Action Council

Project K.I.D., Inc*

Ready Communities Partnership

Ready Moms Alliance*

Rebuilding Together

Salvation Army

Save the Children†§^

Society for Research in Child Development§

Southern Baptist Disaster Ministries†^

Stafford Act Consultants^

The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy Disability Policy Collaboration^

The Children's Health Fund†^

Total Community Action, Inc.^

Trust for America's Health*^

United States Breastfeeding Committee§

University of Southern California^

U.S. Conference of Mayors

White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood*^

Youth Law Center†

ZERO TO THREE^

† Provided representation to one of the Commission’s four subcommittees

* Provided a formal response to the Commission’s April 1, 2009 outreach letter

^ Registered for the Commission’s February 2010 Long-Term Disaster Recovery 

Workshop

§ Held an in-person meeting with the Commission

180 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Appendix I. Commissioner Biographies

Ernest E. Allen, J.D.

Appointed to the Commission by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Mr. Allen is CoFounder, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

(NCMEC). He guided NCMEC’s role in the recovery of 151,000 children, with NCMEC’s

recovery rate climbing from 62 percent in 1990 to 97 percent today. Mr. Allen also built a

global missing children’s network that includes 17 nations. He came to NCMEC after

serving as Chief Administrative Officer of Jefferson County, Director of Public Health and

Safety for the City of Louisville, KY, and Director of the Louisville-Jefferson County Crime

Commission. He is a graduate of the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. 

Michael R. Anderson, M.D., FAAP

Vice-Chairperson 

Appointed to the Commission by President George W. Bush, Dr. Anderson is Vice President

and Associate Chief Medical Officer at University Hospitals and Associate Professor of

Pediatric Critical Care at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, OH. As a

pediatric specialist, Dr. Anderson has been active at the local, State, and national level in

pediatric disaster readiness and response. Currently he is pooling the talent of Ohio’s six

children’s hospitals to form a disaster response team to serve as a State and Federal asset in

the wake of future disasters. His research and clinical interests include national physician

workforce, pediatric critical care transport, and national health policy issues for children. 

Merry Carlson, MPP

Appointed to the Commission by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Ms. Carlson is

the Preparedness Manager for the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency

Management for the State of Alaska. She is the deputy State Coordinating Officer and was

previously the State Individual Assistance Officer and chaired the Alaska Disaster Housing

Task Force. Ms. Carlson has served as Alaska’s Suicide Prevention Council Coordinator, and

as Director of Health for the North Slope Borough in Barrow, AK, where she both provided

direct service and administered 17 programs in physical and behavioral health. She also

held roles in Barrow’s Local Emergency Planning Committee and Emergency Operations

Center.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 181
Honorable Sheila Leslie

Appointed to the Commission by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Ms. Leslie is a

Member of the Nevada General Assembly and the Specialty Courts Coordinator for the 2nd

Judicial District Court, running the criminal, family, and juvenile drug courts and the State’s

first mental health court. Ms. Leslie has worked on behalf of Nevada children, youth, and

families for more than 25 years. She served as Executive Director of the Children’s Cabinet,

where she created innovative, award-winning programs including Family Preservation, the

Child Care Resource Council, Homeless Youth Advocacy, Parent Education Network, and

Nevada’s first comprehensive Adolescent Health Care program. She was also founding

director of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. As owner of a small consulting business,

Ms. Leslie provided comprehensive consulting services through contracts with public and

private nonprofit human service organizations, specializing in developing and

implementing public/private partnerships addressing the needs of children and their

families. 

Bruce A. Lockwood, CEM

Appointed to the Commission by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Mr. Lockwood is the Public Health

Emergency Response Coordinator for the Bristol-Burlington Health District in Connecticut.

Mr. Lockwood has 28 years experience in emergency management, emergency medical

services and public safety, with extensive planning at the local, regional, and State levels for

children’s needs in disaster situations. He served as the Canton Schools All Hazard

Planning Chair and as a member of the Governor’s Prevention Partnership School Safety

Portal Committee and the Child Safety and Crisis Response, State of Connecticut, Daycare

and Child Care Subcommittee; he also served on the Connecticut Public Health Emergency

Preparedness Advisory Committee. 

Graydon “Gregg” Lord, MS, NREMT-P

Appointed to the Commission by President George W. Bush, Chief Lord is Associate

Director of the Grants & Training Division and Senior Policy Analyst at the Office of

Homeland Security at George Washington University Medical Center. His career in public

safety and emergency management has encompassed roles in rural and urban jurisdictions.

He became a paramedic in the early 1980s, subsequently achieving promotion to EMS

Operations Chief of the second largest EMS system in New England at Worcester Emergency

Medical Services. Chief Lord lectures nationally and internationally on emergency and

disaster systems management, leadership, and operations. He is an adjunct faculty member

for various institutions and agencies, including the Institute for International Disaster

Emergency Medicine, Texas A&M University, U.S. Department of Justice and the

Copenhagen Fire Department. Prior to his role at George Washington University Medical

Center, Chief Lord served as Division Chief of Emergency Medical Services for Cherokee

County Fire Department in Cherokee County, GA.

182 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Irwin Redlener, M.D., FAAP

Appointed to the Commission by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Dr. Redlener is President and cofounder of The Children’s Health Fund and is Director of the National Center for Disaster

Preparedness at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Dr. Redlener

worked extensively in the Gulf region following Hurricane Katrina, where he helped

establish ongoing medical and public health programs, as well as a research program

providing insights regarding the impact of disaster trauma on children and families. Dr.

Redlener speaks and writes widely about challenges regarding large-scale disaster recovery.

He also organized medical response teams in the immediate aftermath of the World Trade

Center attacks in 2001 and has national and international disaster management leadership

experience. Dr. Redlener served as Director of Grants and Medical Director of USA for

Africa and Hands Across America. He also developed one of the country’s largest health

care programs for homeless children and their families. Currently, Dr. Redlener is

developing clinical and public health programs in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil

disaster. 

David J. Schonfeld, M.D., FAAP

Appointed to the Commission by House Minority Leader John Boehner, Dr. Schonfeld,

FAAP, is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and the Thelma and Jack Rubinstein

Professor of Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, where he directs

the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement and the Division of Developmental

and Behavioral Pediatrics. Dr. Schonfeld is a member of the Disaster Mental Health

Subcommittee of the National Biodefense Science Board Federal Advisory Committee and

the American Academy of Pediatrics Disaster Preparedness Advisory Council; he is also a

Past President of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. For more than

two decades, he has provided consultation and training on school crisis and pediatric

bereavement in the aftermath of a number of school crises (e.g., school shootings) and

disasters within the United States and abroad, including flooding from Hurricane Katrina in

New Orleans and Hurricane Ike in Galveston and the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China.

He coordinated the training of school crisis teams for New York City Public Schools after

9/11. Dr. Schonfeld is actively engaged in school-based research involving children’s

understanding of and adjustment to serious illness and death and school-based

interventions to promote adjustment and risk prevention.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 183
Honorable Mark K. Shriver, MPA

Chairperson 

Appointed to the Commission by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Mr. Shriver is Senior

Vice President for U.S. Programs at Save the Children. Before joining Save the Children, Mr.

Shriver served as a Member of the Maryland House of Delegates. Among his many

leadership roles as an elected official, he served as Maryland’s first-ever Chair of the Joint

Committee on Children, Youth and Families, where he spearheaded an early childhood

education initiative resulting in more than 37 million new dollars for early education.

Before being elected, Mr. Shriver created and served as Executive Director of the innovative

Choice Program, a public/private partnership serving at-risk youth through intensive

community-based counseling and job training services. The Choice Program has expanded

to include The Choice Jobs Program and The Choice Middle School Program, and has been

replicated nationwide. Mr. Shriver has served on a number of boards and commissions,

including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the FEMA National Advisory Commission,

the Cal Ripken, Sr., Foundation, and the Living Proof Project. He was a member of the

Maryland Governor’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Council and the Governor’s Task Force on

Alternative Sanctions to Incarceration. 

Lawrence E. Tan, J.D., NREMT-P

Appointed to the Commission by House Minority Leader John Boehner, Mr. Tan is Chief of

Emergency Medical Services at the New Castle County, DE, Department of Public Safety.

He started his career as a volunteer firefighter/EMT during high school. He has served as a

paramedic, EMS Lieutenant, Emergency Services Assistant Manager, Assistant Chief and

Deputy Chief during his 28 years service with New Castle County, DE. Mr. Tan’s

assignments have included commander of both the Administrative and Operations

components of the service, in addition to a special Homeland Operations detail within the

Office of the County Executive. Mr. Tan was a member of the National Faculty for the

Counter Narcotics and Terrorism Operations Medical Support Program conducted by the

Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security Federal

Protective Service, and United States Park Police. He also serves on the Federal Interagency Board for Equipment Standardization and Interoperability as a member of the Health

and Medical Responder subgroup, and serves on the executive committee of the FEMA

Region III Regional Advisory Council. Mr. Tan is a graduate of the Widener University

School of Law and has been admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the

United States District Court of New Jersey.

184 NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT
Appendix J. Commission and Project Staff

Commission Staff

Christopher J. Revere, MPA, Executive Director

Pamela Carter-Birken, Executive Deputy Director

Victoria A. Johnson, MS, Policy Director

Randall Gnatt, J.D., Senior Policy Advisor

Frank Valliere, MA, Policy Specialist

Jacqueline Officer, Executive Assistant

CAPT Juliana Sadovich, RN, PhD, Designated Federal Official

Project Staff, Abt Associates Inc.

Deborah Klein Walker, Ed.D., Principal Investigator

Tom Rich, MS, Project Director 

Kim Fletcher, MA

Ron Davison, MA

Cee Cee Molineaux, MS

Timothy Clark

Emily Goodman

Andrea Schnitzer

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS: 2010 REPORT 185
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND DISASTERS

AHRQ Publication No. 10-M037

October 2010

ISBN No: 978-1-58763-401-7

Advancing Excellence in Health Care www.ahrq.gov

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality