Children In Disasters: Teachers and Childcare
![Photo of a child playing with a toy train](/congress116th/20210123031611im_/https://www.cdc.gov/childrenindisasters/images/child-playing150px.jpg)
Emergencies and disasters can happen during the school day. Taking steps now can help protect the students in your care.
Planning and Preparing for Emergencies
Learn more about steps that can keep your schools safer.
- Tools and trainings from Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Centerexternal icon
- CDC’s Zombie Pandemic toolkit for middle school teachers
- School Safety guide from the Department of Homeland Securityexternal icon
- Ready Kids Youth Emergency Preparedness Curriculumexternal icon from FEMA
- Back-to-School podcast
- Infographic: Easy as ABC
- Save the Children Disaster Checklistexternal icon
- School Crisis Guideexternal icon: includes resources for preparing for, reacting to, and responding to a crisis
- FEMA’s Youth Preparednessexternal icon page
- FEMA’s Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP)external icon
- FEMA’s Teen Community Emergency Response Team (Teen CERT) external icon
Protecting the Youngest Learners: Caring for Children 0-5
You care for our youngest and most vulnerable. Take steps now to protect them during emergencies
- Tools, trainings, and other resourcesexternal icon for Early Childcare Programs
- Interactive trainingsexternal icon from Save the Children
- The American Academy of Pediatrics provides links to disaster preparedness standardsexternal icon and more for childcare providers
- Multihazard Planning for Childcareexternal icon free, interactive, web-based training from FEMA
- Recommendations for Protecting Children in Childcare During Emergencies pdf icon[1.82 MB / 72 pages]external icon from the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies and Save the Children
After an Emergency: Helping Children Cope
Schools are a place of learning and support. You have an important role to play in helping children recover after an emergency.
- CDC resources on Helping Children Cope with Emergencies
- Resources from the National Child Trauma Stress Networkexternal icon to help students copeexternal icon with and recover from trauma
- The Child Trauma Toolkitexternal icon for Educators (English and Spanish)
- Info for School Personnelexternal icon
- A Field Manual for administering Psychological First Aidexternal icon
- Guidelines for helping students after earthquakes,external icon hurricanes,external icon and tornadoesexternal icon
- Post Disaster Reunification of Childrenexternal icon: A Nationwide Approach
- Tips for Talking With and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Eventexternal icon: A guide for parents, caregivers and teachers
- Coping After a Natural Disaster – Resources and Information for Teens
Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice
It’s important for state and local juvenile justice agencies, child welfare and foster care systems to adequately prepare for disasters.
- The Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities pdf icon[2.70 MB / 50 pages]external icon: A comprehensive planning guide to address the specific needs of children, youth, and families involved in the juvenile justice system during an emergency
- The Children in Emergencies Planning Guide pdf icon[PDF – 320 KB / 32 pages]external icon: Guidance to help local and state emergency managers/coordinators in their efforts to include children in emergency planning
Page last reviewed: January 6, 2021