December 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 44

Susan Warner, Save the Children

PROTECTING CHILDREN

Four-year-old Didi plays with Save the Children staff member Sarah Thompson in the
child-friendly shelter space set up at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The shelter had
about 400 residents, 100 of them being children.

Children are the most vulnerable in
disasters, as these traumatic events
can steal the very essence of what it
means to be a child - security, innocence and play.
On the Front Lines
From afterschool camps to aquatic
programs, park and recreation professionals are on the front lines of
ensuring children's safety every day.
They provide the structures and programs that help children thrive in familiar environments where they feel
protected, and thus stand as a symbol of child safety within their communities. When a disaster strikes,
this role is amplified. Park and recreation professionals often act as first
responders - safeguarding those in
their care, assessing the needs of local families and serving as a community stronghold. Facilities may function as a family reunification point
or transform into shelters, housing
those who have been displaced.
Agencies may help coordinate the
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community-wide response, providing space for the emergency operations center.
In theory, we know that disasters
pose a threat to our communities.
We've seen it on television, we've
received training during the onboarding process and we've conducted
the occasional fire drill. But, there
is a difference between knowing a
threat and taking purposeful and
meaningful action to ensure staff
are equipped, families are educated
and children will be safe. The truth is
that disasters - natural, chemical or
manmade - can strike anywhere at
any time, sometimes with little or no
warning. And when it does happen,
will your agency be ready to protect
children? Will staff know what to do
when little eyes are looking to them
for protection and comfort? Will you
be ready to guide kids through the
long-term recovery process, knowing
that it's these traumatic experiences
that will frame their perception of the
world going forward?

| D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

Unique Needs of
Children in Disasters
Children are not just little adults.
They have unique needs that make
them vulnerable during emergencies
and that need to be deliberately addressed in emergency planning.
Reliance on Caregivers: Children
can't make emergency plans. They
are physically and emotionally dependent on their caregivers, including coaches, teachers and leaders.
During a disaster, if staff members
do not know the plan and their role
within that plan, children are left
scared and at higher risk of harm.
Communication and Identification: Infants, toddlers and children
with disabilities may not be able to
verbally identify themselves or family members. Older children may not
know emergency contacts. These
needs hinder quick family reunification following a disaster.
Mobility: Infants and toddlers are
unable to walk and others may need
to hold hands for balance, and move
at a slow pace. Children with special
needs or access and functional needs
require extra help or special equipment for evacuation (e.g., wheelchairs, cribs, strollers, car seats).
Physical: Children's bodies are
smaller and less developed, putting
them at greater risk of illness or harm
during an emergency. For example,
because children have thinner skin
and take more breaths per minute
than adults, they are more susceptible to harmful chemicals or smoke
inhalation.
Nutritional: Children
require
more fluids per pound than adults,
which should be accommodated by
keeping plenty of fluids in disaster
supplies. Children can be picky eaters, so storing healthy and nutritious
child-friendly snacks such as granola
bars or fruit snacks with disaster supply kits is advisable.

December 2015 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2015 - Parks & Recreation