Children are one of the most vulnerable segments of society during disasters. There are over 38.5 million households with children under 18 years in the United States. The majority of these households could be directly affected by disasters either through disruptions of day-to-day activities or through community disaster mitigation planning efforts. The perils faced by children can include separation from family members, school closures, health care shortages, housing issues, psychological impacts, and many others. The number of children affected by disasters is growing, yet there remains a gap in the inclusion of children in community disaster planning. Planning is just one of many tools that can be used to address the perils children face during and after disasters. Other activities include medical preparedness and response, medical countermeasures, medical transportation, disaster case management, national sheltering standards, housing, and evacuation. Congress established the National Commission on Children and Disasters (the Commission) to address the needs of children in disasters. This report considers the purpose, history, and structure of the Commission; the recommendations contained in the Commission's interim report to Congress; and congressional issues related to the recommendations. In-depth analysis of the recommendations will be undertaken in later reports. The 111 th Congress is currently considering amending the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act). The Disaster Response, Recovery, and Mitigation Enhancement Act of 2009 ( H.R. 3377 ) would enhance disaster response, recovery, preparedness, and mitigation capabilities. The Child Safety, Care, and Education Continuity Act of 2010 ( S. 2898 ) provides for the safety, care, and educational needs of children in disasters. Congress may wish to consider expanding proposed legislation or introducing new legislation to amend the Stafford Act to include recommendations of the Commission. Additional issues Congress may wish to consider include eligibility for federal grant funds, the federal role in emergency management, and federal agency role clarification in disaster assistance. In addition to amending the Stafford Act, Congress may elect to assess whether the Homeland Security Act (HSA) should be amended to emphasize the needs of children in emergencies. In recognition of the risks and challenges facing children during and after disasters, the Commission was authorized under the provisions of the Kids in Disasters Well-being, Safety, and Health Act of 2007 ( P.L. 110-161 ) and given federal advisory committee statutory authority under the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act of 2009 ( P.L. 110-329 ) to assess the needs of, and make recommendations about, children in disasters. The Commission is bipartisan, with 10 members appointed by the President and congressional leaders from both parties. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), provides financial and administrative support to the Commission. Congress authorized appropriations of $1.5 million for each of FY2008 and FY2009 to enable the Commission to conduct a comprehensive study to examine and assess the needs of children in the preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. After evaluating existing research and recommendations, the Commission is directed to submit a report to the President and Congress on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to address the identified gaps pertaining to the needs of children in disasters. The interim report of the Commission was provided to the President and Congress on October 14, 2009. The Final Report is projected to be completed by October 2010. According to the U.S. Census, children under the age of 18 comprise over 25% of the population. As a result, almost every disaster will most likely involve children. The vulnerability of children in disasters became most visible when families were separated after Hurricane Katrina, resulting in the displacement of an estimated 183,000 children, many of whom were poor. While it is unclear exactly how many children are recovering from Hurricane Katrina, research suggests that over 20,000 children still lack adequate housing, education, and essential services. The Commission was established to identify gaps in existing research and emergency management practices and make recommendations to address those gaps. Congress required that the Commission be appointed on a bipartisan basis, be representative of private nonprofit entities with expertise in providing assistance to children in disasters, and include the state and local emergency management perspective. Table 1 provides the affiliation and appointment information of the 10 commissioners. Congress directed the Commission to conduct a comprehensive study that examines the needs of children in the preparedness for, response to, recovery from, and mitigation of the impacts of major disasters and emergencies. The terms "major disasters" and "emergencies" were defined to mean the same as such terms under the Stafford Act. Specifically, the authorizing statute directs the Commission to make recommendations in the following areas: child physical health, mental health, and trauma; child care in all settings; child welfare; elementary and secondary education; sheltering, temporary housing, and affordable housing; transportation; juvenile justice; evacuation; and relevant activities in emergency management. The Commission established the following four subcommittees that meet monthly: 1. Education, Child Welfare, and Juvenile Justice; 2. Evacuation, Transportation, and Housing; 3. Human Services Recovery; and 4. Pediatric Medical Care. Each subcommittee operates under a statement of purpose that sets forth the goals and objectives of the subcommittee. These statements are excerpted below. The Education and Juvenile Justice Subcommittee will review issues affecting children and disasters in the areas of emergency preparedness, response, and recovery in schools, child care facilities, institutions of juvenile justice and corrections, and child welfare institutions. Areas of focus will include coordination with state and local planning efforts, identification of key services, training of personnel, and communication among all stakeholders, including parents and caregivers. The Subcommittee on Evacuation, Transportation and Housing will be recommending minimum standards for the care of children during evacuation, transportation and housing at any phase of a disaster situation. The Subcommittee will seek ways to encourage greater responsibility and accountability for the development and maintenance of standards that ensure the safety and accessibility for children, regardless of whether the services are provided by government or non-governmental organizations. To achieve this goal, the Subcommittee will investigate approaches, both internationally and domestically, to identify best practices and address existing gaps. The Subcommittee will facilitate collaboration of subject matter experts and stakeholders to address the identified issues by thoughtfully integrating the needs of children in these environments. The Human Services Recovery Subcommittee will focus on how to optimize recovery efforts in the aftermath of disasters and emergencies from the perspective of meeting the long-term essential needs of children and safe-guarding their well-being. Disasters and emergencies, especially those of a large-scale or catastrophic nature, can disrupt communities and community services for extended periods, during which timely access to appropriate child care, schools, supervised after-school programs, and health care (including physical health, mental and behavioral health, and oral health services) is at risk. This situation is frequently complicated by persistently unstable housing and lack of holistic disaster case management services. During disaster recovery, children must be provided these services within a supportive environment that ensures optimal recovery for individual children, their guardians, and the community as a whole. The Subcommittee will work to encourage policies and strategies that minimize the traumas and disruptions associated with long-term recovery. The Subcommittee on Pediatric Medical Care will explore ways to improve the current system for providing acute medical care to children in disasters, including improvements to the current processes for developing, stockpiling, and distributing medical countermeasures for children in a disaster and ensuring an effective emergency medical response system for children with sufficient pediatric-specific surge capacity. Congress authorized appropriations of $1.5 million for each of FY2008 and FY2009 for activities of the Commission. Even though Congress authorized $1.5 million, HHS provided $500,000 from discretionary appropriations for Commission activities for FY2008. In FY2009, HHS received $1.5 million to fund the Commission. H.R. 3293 , pending before the 111 th Congress, would provide $1 million to the Commission for FY2010. No proposals have been submitted by the Administration for FY2011 funding. Congress has directed the Commission to provide a final report in October 2010 but has not provided authorization for appropriations during the fiscal year in which the final report is due. Therefore, Congress may wish to consider the funding needs of the Commission during the period immediately following submission of the final report. The Commission has held several meetings since the first meeting on October 14, 2008. In addition to public meetings, members of the Commission have testified at the following congressional hearings: Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, Focus on Children in Disasters: Evacuation Planning and Mental Health Recovery , August 4, 2009; House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, Looking Out for the Very Young, the Elderly and Others with Special Needs: Lessons from Katrina and Other Major Disasters , October 20, 2009; Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, Disaster Case Management: Developing a Comprehensive National Program Focused on Outcomes , December 2, 2009; and Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, Children and Disasters: A Progress Report on Addressing Needs , December 10, 2009. The Commission submitted an interim report to the President and Congress in October 2009. The Commission has developed 11 categories of recommendations in its Interim Report: (1) disaster management and recovery; (2) mental health; (3) child physical health and trauma; (4) emergency medical services and pediatric transport; (5) disaster case management; (6) child care; (7) elementary and secondary education; (8) child welfare and juvenile justice; (9) sheltering standards, services and supplies; (10) housing; and (11) evacuation.