The Atlantic hurricane season is June 1st to November 30th.
HURRICANE
There are many educational resources available to child welfare professionals and the families they serve to help navigate
PREPAREDNESS &
these storms. The Annie E. Casey Foundation offers a Disaster
RECOVERY
Preparedness Resource Guide for Child Welfare Agencies,1
while the National Child Traumatic Stress Network has agespecific resources to help caregivers support children before,
during, and after a hurricane.2 For youth, the Department of Homeland Security’s Ready Kids3 website offers games and
THE IMPACT OF DISASTERS ON THE
activities to help children and teens through disasters.
CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM
FACTS & FIGURES Among a sample of 50 Florida foster parents, 20% reported that children in their care experienced a mental health decline following Hurricane Irma, including SLEEP DISTURBANCES, ANXIETY, and DEPRESSION. Some children worried about their parents’ safety and 52% had a visit cancelled or postponed.4
Initial evidence suggests MINDFULNESS might help alleviate internalizing, externalizing, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in children following a hurricane.5
Hurricanes during the COVID-19 pandemic will only INCREASE THE DIFFICULTIES OF FAMILY VISITATION. “Child welfare advocates say that America’s foster care system, which relies on in-person contact and human connection, is struggling under the weight of this unprecedented period of isolation, which is risking the well-being of children, foster parents, and biological parents.”6 For a brief report on how the coronavirus is affecting family visitation for foster children, listen to NPR’s Morning Edition: Child Welfare Services and Caretakers Grapple With COVID-19 Effects.
Based on foster parent experiences during Hurricane Irma, suggestions to improve the foster care system’s response to disasters include:7 ISSUANCE OF EARLY WAIVERS for storm-related out-of-state travel GUIDANCE FOR FOSTER FAMILIES on allowable places to stay during evacuations ADVANCES ON FOSTER CARE PAYMENTS to help families afford evacuation and daily expenses
ESTABLISHMENT OF A STATEWIDE INFORMATION SOURCE for foster families and case managers during hurricanes
Child-serving residential care facilities in Florida regularly prepare for each hurricane season. Agency executives recommend several ways to prepare, such as:8 HAVING A PLAN that includes all possible options (i.e., sheltering in place, evacuation, hosting other facilities who have evacuated)
HAVING A COMMUNICATION PLAN for distributing information across the organization
PROVIDING IMPLEMENTATION CHECKLISTS to staff COMMUNICATING PLANS WITH YOUTH who are worried about the storm DEBRIEFING AFTER RECOVERY to identify necessary revisions to the preparedness plan
Hurricane Katrina exposed the lack of child welfare disaster policies and plans operating in the states most affected by the storm. In response, federal legislation in 2006 required child welfare agencies in every state to develop disaster plans.9 More information about Florida’s Child Welfare Disaster Plan is available in the Department of Children and Families’ 2019 Final Annual Progress and Services Report.10
INSTITUTE AFFILIATES We have affiliates with expertise in preparation for and the impact of disasters on vulnerable
populations. Learn more about their work in our affiliate directory:
FICW.FSU.EDU/AFFILIATES
JENNIFER MARSHALL, PH.D., MPH, CPH
ALISON SALLOUM, PH.D., LCSW, MSW
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
INSTITUTE SPOTLIGHT ALISON SALLOUM, PH.D., LCSW
is a Professor at the University of
South Florida, School of Social Work. She received her MSW and Ph.D. from
Tulane University School of Social Work. Dr. Salloum’s primary research interest is on the treatment of childhood trauma. She is specifically interested in examining psychosocial interventions for young children, children, adolescents, and their families who have been exposed to various types of traumatic events
such as violence, disasters, and death. Dr. Salloum published extensively on post-hurricane trauma, grief, and coping in youth.
To learn more about Dr. Salloum’s work, please visit her faculty webpage.
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The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2009). Disaster preparedness resource guide for child welfare agencies. Retrieved June 16, 2020 from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED507724.pdf The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (n.d.). Hurricane resources. Retrieved June 16, 2020 from https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/disasters/hurricane-resources The Department of Homeland Security. (2020). Welcome to Ready Kids. Retrieved June 16, 2020 from https://www.ready.gov/kids Steen, J. (2018). Foster child well-being during Hurricane Irma. Retrieved June 16, 2020 from https://issuu.com/julieasteen/docs/foster_child_wellbeing_research_bri Cutright, N. L., Padgett E. E., Awada, S. R., Pabis, J. M., & Pittman, L. D. (2019). The role of mindfulness in psychological outcomes for children following hurricane exposure. Mindfulness, 10, 1760-1767. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/10.1007/s12671-019-01135-5 Radnofsky, C. (2020, April 2). Foster kids who can’t visit parents are struggling under coronavirus isolation, advocates say, NBC News online. ¶ 6. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/foster-kids-who-can-t-visit-parents-are-struggling-under-n1172476 Steen, J. (2018). Foster parenting during Hurricane Irma. Retrieved June 16, 2020 from https://issuu.com/julieasteen/docs/foster_parent_irma_research_brief Steen J. (2019). Residential care during Hurricane Irma: A study of disaster preparedness and response among child serving agencies. Retrieved June 16, 2020 from https://issuu.com/julieasteen/docs/residential_care_during_hurricane_i U.S.C. Title 42 - The public health and welfare. (2011). The Government Publishing Office. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2011-title42/html/USCODE-2011-title42-chap7-subchapIV-partB.htm Florida Department of Children and Families. (2019). Final annual progress and services report. http://centerforchildwelfare.fmhi.usf.edu/kb/FlPerformance/APSR-FinalReport_FinalFederalApprovalPending.pdf
The Florida Institute for Child Welfare seeks to promote safety, permanency, and well-being among the children and families of Florida that are involved with the child welfare system. FICW.FSU.EDU
@FSUChildWelfare