Save the Children

Children were the face of a record year of disasters in the United States. That's why Save the Children has produced our annual America’s 2013 National Report Cardon Protecting Children in Disasters. This year's report focused on how unsatisfactory gaps in prepardness put children at risk before disaster strikes.

Did you know?

• 28 states and the District of Columbia still fail to meet minimum standards to protect children recommended by the National Commission on Children and Disasters.

• 17 states don’t require child care providers to have an evacuation plan.

• 16 states don’t require child care providers to have a family reunification plan.

• 24 states don’t require child care providers to have a plan for children with disabilities or with access and functional needs.

• 6 states and the District of Columbia don’t require schools to have a disaster plan that addresses multiple types of hazards.

• Schools and child care centers are often not required to practice emergency plans regularly.

• Families are often not well-informed about reunification plans or asked to update emergency contact information.

• Emergency responders often have no official registry of child care centers to facilitate plans to reach all children.

• State and community emergency plans often fail to adequately account for the needs of children.

Find out if your state makes the grade and how you can better prepare your family for disasters and emergencies at Get Ready. Get Safe. 

Links:

• Get Ready. Get Safe.

• Disaster Report PDF 2013 (PDF)