December 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 45

Leaving Children at Risk
During the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina it became clear just how much
children, who comprise 25 percent of
the population, had been overlooked
in federal, state and community emergency planning. In response, President
George W. Bush and Congress created
the National Commission on Children and Disasters, led by Save the

Children, an international NGO with
more than 100 years of disaster response experience, to assess these gaps
that leave children at risk. In 2010,
the commission issued its final report
with 81 recommendations to improve
the capacity of the United States to
protect children before, during and
after disasters. This year, a decade after Hurricane Katrina, Save the Children assessed our nation's progress
along these recommendations that
cover everything from increasing access to mental health services to improving shelter standards and school
and child care operations plans. The
2015 National Disaster Report Card
on Protecting Children in Disasters
found that an alarming 79 percent of
the commission's recommendations
remain unfulfilled.
Making Change for Children
Park and recreation agencies are in
the fabric of every U.S. community and have the resources and voice
to be change agents for children in
disasters. It's a role that some communities have already embraced,

utilizing previous experiences, core
capacities and creativity to fill gaps in
protecting children.
Don't Wait for a Shake-up Call,
Manhattan Beach, California
" When you aren't prepared, when
you don't have the proper records, information and supplies ready to go, a
small-scale emergency can turn into
a catastrophe, " says Idris Al-Oboudi, recreation manager at Manhattan
Beach Parks and Recreation in California. Learning from a devastating 1994 earthquake that destroyed
one of their community centers,
Al-Oboudi and Manhattan Beach
used the devastating experience to
improve plans and protocols.
" The earthquake was our shakeup call,' " adds Al-Oboudi. " It shook
our confidence. You think you are
prepared, but when it happens you're
faced with figuring out how you are
going to continue to provide services
that these families rely on. The emotional part is very important. We have
to be in tune to children's emotions
when these things occur. Staff who
can keep children constructively en-

Lee Celano

Emotional: Children of all ages
are deeply affected by experiences
of death, destruction, terror and the
absence of their parents or guardians
during a disaster. In fact, children
who have been affected by large-scale
disasters are five times as likely to
suffer from serious emotional issues
as those who have not experienced
a major disaster. Adult leaders' reactions and responses to the disaster
can often add another layer of stress.
Children process these events with
limited understanding and require
specialized support to develop the
knowledge and healthy coping skills
needed to heal and recover.
Developmental: A disaster may
disrupt the school year and participation in regular programs. Children may also fall behind when they
struggle with long-term physiological
or psychological issues following a
disaster. These setbacks, without the
appropriate intervention, can cause
children to lag behind their peers educationally and developmentally, potentially changing the course or their
lives and ability to thrive.
Routine and Comfort: Children
depend on routine to help them make
sense of their surroundings and feel
comforted. Whether it is recreation
time or story time, keeping schedules consistent following a disaster
is crucial in helping children recover.
Children also tend to be comforted by
items they can touch or hold such as
blankets, stuffed animals or toys.

New Orleans kids enjoy a Katrina-anniversary " Prep Rally " at Treme Community Center.

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December 2015 - Parks & Recreation

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