Emergency managers, teachers, and others who work with children understand that children and youth are an important part of our communities and can be vulnerable during disasters. It’s important to ensure their protection and to include their needs in your planning, response, and recovery efforts.This also includes knowing how you will reestablish your facilities and services if impacted by disaster. This page features preparedness, planning, response, and recovery resources to help emergency managers and practitioners integrate the needs of children and youth into their disaster planning efforts.
But children and youth also have unique abilities to prepare themselves as well as their families, schools, and communities. Children and youth are empowered through understanding risks and knowing how to protect themselves. Empowered youth can help involve their families, peers, and communities in disaster preparedness. On this page, you’ll also find activities for the classroom and other tools for those who work with children and youth. Today’s prepared children are tomorrow’s prepared adults!