Abt Associates Researchers Help U.S. Government Protect Children from Future Disasters
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
As evidenced by the meetings of the Commission and of its four Subcommittees held to date, and the testimony received by the Senate Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery held on August 4, 2009, the unique needs of children have clearly not been adequately addressed during previous major disasters and emergencies.
Mitigating the impact that disasters have on children is a complex task, because children are affected not only directly but also through the effects of such incidents on their families, their schools and other institutions, and their communities. For this reason, Abt Associates and the Commission are working to identify all the gaps and deficiencies in existing laws, regulations, policies, and programs, in order to begin proposing innovative policy solutions covering the broad range of domestic policy areas involved in the problem.
Abt Associates staff, under a contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, are working with the National Commission on Children and Disasters to prepare a report advising President Barack Obama and Congress on the unique needs of children in natural or manmade disasters. The report, which Abt Associates is drafting in conjunction with the Commission, will include recommendations that address preparation for, response to, and recovery from all hazards, including disasters. A final report is due to the President and Congress in October 2010.
Although children are among the most vulnerable people and comprise about 25 percent of the U.S. population, their needs in a disaster are often overlooked or misunderstood. One of Abt Associates’ primary tasks on this project will be to help the Commission ensure that the voices of the many advocates for children are identified and heard as information is gathered and synthesized for the Commission’s Final Report. Under the Commission’s direction Abt Associates is gathering “lessons learned” from prior disasters.
Such lessons include, for example, work by other U.S. agencies that have coordinated response efforts to the tsunami in American Samoa, the earthquake in Haiti, hurricanes that have impacted the U.S. Gulf Coast region, and the floods that devastated parts of Iowa in 2008. These agencies have been sharing their experiences in a series of field hearings and public meetings that the Commission is conducting. This information will be synthesized and addressed in the report.
Authorized under federal law in 2008, the Commission is required by Congress to study a broad range of policy areas related to the needs of children affected by disasters. These areas include physical and mental health; elementary and secondary education; child welfare; child care; housing and transportation; juvenile justice; and emergency management: http://www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov/.
