The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) has been working with the Puerto Rico Department of Family Affairs (PRDFA) since the implementation of the Resilient Children/Resilient Communities (RCRC) Initiative (between 2019 and 2021) through Community Resilience Coalitions. Monthly coalition meetings were intended to identify gaps in communities’ readiness to meet the needs of children in disasters, develop plans to address these gaps and implement concrete actions to strengthen institutional and community preparedness. Since then, NCDP has been working with the Department to strengthen the planning capabilities of the childcare sector across Puerto Rico. Through a multistakeholder consultation process, NCDP developed emergency planning tools and a training curriculum, which has already been delivered to over 350 government staff (including the Department of Family Affairs and municipal and state Emergency Management offices). In 2024, we are working to provide this training to all licensed childcare providers on the island (540 facilities), aiming to strengthen institutional Emergency Operation Plans and, ultimately, contribute to improving this essential sector’s readiness to ensure children remain safe and healthy before, during and after disasters and emergencies.
