NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS COMMUNITY LAUNCHES NEW GROUP The National Preparedness Community is an online community that allows individuals to discuss emergency preparedness best practices and share how they are working to better prepare their communities. The community is inviting members to join the newly launched Educators, Parents, and Advocates group, which is uniquely focused on topics related to preparing youth. This group enables members to: •Access preparedness resources specifically designed for educators, parents, and advocates. •Share and compare preparedness plans with other leaders in youth and school preparedness. •Download the 2013 National Preparedness Toolkit. •Promote their National Preparedness Month event on the calendar. •Connect and build relationships with emergency management personnel and other community members. You can get started in three easy steps: •Join the Community Registration only takes a minute. Once you register, you will be able to receive updates on Community activity via email. •Introduce Yourself Take a few moments to share with the Community who you are and what your area of focus is. •Start a Discussion Create a discussion thread about a new guide your office created, an upcoming webinar you want members to attend, or how you are helping the public become better prepared. To learn more about FEMA’s youth preparedness efforts, please visit: ready.gov/youth-preparedness. NEW PREPAREDNESS RESOURCES FROM THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has released the new publication Children and Youth Task Force in Disasters: Guidelines for Development. This guide introduces Whole Community partners to Children and Youth Task Forces in Disasters and includes recommendations for states, Tribes, territories, and local communities interested in launching their own Children and Youth Task Forces. It also outlines the support that ACF can provide. It was developed using vital lessons learned in meeting the needs of children and youth in recent disasters such as Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Isaac, and the Joplin tornado. In addition, the guide provides guidance to help emergency management, human services, and public health professionals implement an effective approach to supporting children’s needs in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. This month, the ACF has also published a back to school blog post that includes helpful tips for families to be prepared when their children are in school or daycare. The blog post also includes links to some new tools and resources.
Posted on: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 21:00:40 +0000