Many communities, systems, and child-serving institutions are not sufficiently prepared to meet the needs of children when a crisis strikes. A community’s resilience and ability to rebound from a crisis can be measured by its ability to care for its children, who are one of the most vulnerable populations in an emergency. By strengthening the preparedness and relationships between child-serving institutions and their supporting agencies and organizations, families and communities are then afforded a greater opportunity to lessen the impact of disasters and return to normalcy faster.
Through the support and development of Community Resilience Coalitions in addition to national advocacy, the RCRC Initiative aims to enhance local planning capacity, fortify relationships and partnerships in preparedness, and identify critical policy levers to affect systematic change to address the unique needs of children before, during and after disasters.
As part of the Resilient Children/Resilient Communities Initiative, two pilot communities are building Community Resilience Coalitions (CRC). Today we hear from coalition members who speak to the importance of this initiative and why actions to protect our Nation’s children after a disaster are so critical.
Every day in the US, 69 million children spend part of the day separated from their parents, yet 21 states, and DC, don’t require schools and childcare providers to have basic emergency plans.
This emergency management and childcare provider video series highlights 1) the importance of planning for children’s specific and unique needs in an emergency and how those plans builds a more resilient community, 2) addresses how this planning gap evolved, and helps us understand the critical nature of bringing emergency management and child-serving institutions to the same table and 3) how the Resilient Children/Resilient Communities Initiative (RCRC) is facilitating conversations that have never occurred in the past.
This video series features interviews with emergency management professionals from the two Resilient Children/Resilient Communities Initiative pilot communities in Washington County, AR and Putnam County, NY. Also featured is NCDP Deputy Directory Jeff Schlegelmilch and NCRLB board member Andrea Davis, Director, Global Crisis Management and Business Continuity at The Walt Disney Company.
This emergency management and childcare provider video series highlights 1) the importance of planning for children’s specific and unique needs in an emergency and how those plans build a more resilient community, 2) addresses how this planning gap evolved, and helps us understand the critical nature of bringing emergency management and child-serving institutions to the same table and 3) how the Resilient Children/Resilient Communities Initiative (RCRC) is facilitating conversations that have never occurred in the past.
Learn more about the RCRC Initiative: ncdp.columbia.edu/rcrc
The NCRLB offers insights and advice for the RCRC Pilot Communities as they wrap up year one of a three year initiative. These pearls of wisdom are applicable to any coalition or community building efforts.
Dr. Lori Peek delivers the keynote address to the Arkansas Early Childhood Association (AECA) annual conference in Little Rock, AR. Resilient Children/Resilient Children Initiative (RCRC) project director and NCDP Deputy Director, Jeff Schlegelmilch sets the stage by introducing the RCRC Initiative. In her talk, Dr. Peek focuses on the critical role childcare providers may play in a child’s outcome before, during, and after a disaster.
Join us as we learn more about the SHOREline Project from Dr. David Abramson of NYU’s College of Global Public Health and Director of the program on Population Impact, Recovery, and Resiliency (PiR2). The Resilient Children / Resilient Communities Initiative welcomed Dr. Abramson to share how other communities who may be interested in tapping into the youth in their locality can do so, and what the overall benefits may be across the US before, during, and after a disaster.
Disasters can strike anywhere at any time. Approximately 70 million children in the United States are separated from their families during the day. Are you prepared? This episode of AETN’s Arkansans Ask explored child-focused disaster preparedness, community resilience, and steps any household can take to become better prepared for all emergencies. It also provided insight, guidance, and resources to help protect children before, during, and after disasters while offering a platform for state, local, and national leaders to answer viewer questions. Read the press release for more information and a full list of panelists. “Arkansans Ask: Children & Disasters” aired Thursday, May 18th at 7:00pm.
The Resilient Children / Resilient Communities pilot communities have spent the past two years actively working to ensure they are ready to meet the unique needs of children after a disaster. This video shows the breadth of their work and the lasting impact that’s being made locally while also showing their passion for spreading their passion to others across the country.
On April 17, 2018 the RCRC Initiative hosted a Congressional Briefing on Building Child Focused Disaster Resilient Communities in Washington, DC. Coalition representatives from Washington County, AR and Putnam County, NY joined alongside NCDP and Save the Children to host this event. Attendees heard first-hand from these communities and national experts on the RCRC model, the state of recovery from recent disasters, and what matters most when crafting national policy to meet the unique needs of children in disasters.
In partnership with community leaders, the Resilient Children/Resilient Communities Initiative analyzed, recommended and implemented procedures, training, and guidance to help build child-focused community resilience to disasters. The RCRC Toolbox is a dynamic collection of resources developed and curated throughout this initiative for the benefit of those working to make our communities and our children more resilient to disasters. This collection of tools and resources should be shared widely with communities nationwide.
The toolbox is categorized for different kinds of people or organizations that are looking for tools to assist in their preparedness and planning efforts: 1) child-serving institutions, 2) community emergency planners, 3) policymakers, and 4) individuals and families. Access the RCRC Toolbox here: rcrctoolbox.org
In Phase 2 of the RCRC Initiative, NCDP now works with four disaster-affected communities in North Carolina and Puerto Rico. Their experiences have shaped the value they place in working jointly with community partners, building relationships and developing plans to meet the needs of children during recovery and in the event of future disaster.
