Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice
Child welfare and juvenile justice recommendations are as follows:
Ensure that state and local child welfare agencies adequately prepare for
disasters.
Ensure that state and local juvenile justice agencies and all residential treat-
ment, correctional, and detention facilities that house children adequately
prepare for disasters.
Ensure that juvenile, dependency, and other courts hearing matters involving
children adequately prepare for disasters.
These recommendations require a certain amount of assessment before implemen-
tation. First, it is important to assess child welfare disaster planning to determine
if significant advances have been made since passage of the Child and Family
Services Improvement Act of 2006 (CFSIA). The report also suggests that HHS
should develop planning guidance to supplement the basic procedures mandated
in CFSIA. In addition, assessment is needed regarding appropriate preparedness
relative to the juvenile justice system (courts).
At the local level, recommendations in the report will require emergency
management and child welfare agencies to work with courts and residential treat-
ment, correctional, and detention facilities that house children to develop effective
emergency response plans. Federal agencies, including FEMA, the Department of
Justice, and HHS, are directed within the report to provide funding and technical
guidance regarding emergency planning for the child welfare and juvenile justice
systems.
Sheltering Standards, Services, and Supplies
The report recommends that government agencies and nongovernmental organiza-
tions supporting mass care and sheltering (ESF-6) should provide a safe and secure
shelter environment for children including access to essential services and supplies.
Specifically, the report addresses the need for national standards for mass care shel-
ters specific to children.
Implications at the local, tribal, and state levels include the need to obtain caches
of age-appropriate shelter supplies for infants and children for immediate deploy-
ment to support shelter operations. In addition, the report suggests implementing
criminal background checks to mitigate risks unique to children in shelters such as
child abduction and sex offenders. ESF-6 planning coordinators should consider
implementing child-centered standards in conjunction with revisions to address
functional need support services.
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