In past disasters, and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the provision of emergency child care services and rebuilding and restoring of child care infrastructure has emerged as an essential service. The CCDBG Act requires a disaster preparedness and response plan that contains specific elements. The purpose of this requirement is to help ensure that early childhood programs support children's healthy growth and development, especially in the event of a disaster or emergency. The availability of child care following a disaster prevents children from being left alone or in unsafe environments, and can help expedite recovery efforts by ensuring that children are safe while parents access public benefits, visit damaged property, and make other efforts to rebuild their lives. Child care is a critical human service that helps protect children’s safety and support family stability after a disaster.

Planning and preparation for emergency and disaster are important for these reasons:

• Planning minimizes the likelihood of injuries and death of children who are particularly vulnerable in disasters
• Preparation can minimize psychological impact (trauma) and promote resilience in children and adults, in addition to promoting continuity of care
• Planning and preparation may reduce revenue lost and child care provider liability
• Recovery - child care is a vital service to the community, and the speed at which child care is able to recover affects the overall recovery of the community

Implementation of the CCDBG Act requires states to demonstrate in their CCDF Plans how they will address the needs of children in child care services provided through CCDF, including the need for safe child care before, during, and after a state of emergency declared by the governor or a major disaster or emergency as defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122). [2]

States must do the following:

1. Develop a statewide child care disaster plan with the following required entities:
   1. State human services agency
   2. State emergency management agency
   3. State child care licensing agency
   4. State health department or public health department
   5. Local and state child care resource and referral (CCR&R) agencies
   6. State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or similar coordinating body
2. Include guidelines for the continuation of child care subsidies
3. Include guidelines for the continuation of child care services
4. Include procedures for the coordination of post-disaster recovery of child care services
5. Contain procedures for staff and volunteer emergency preparedness training
6. Requirements Contain procedures for staff and volunteer practice drills

A statewide child care disaster plan, separate from the state’s continuity-of-operations plan (state-level plans developed to assure the continued performance of essential functions under a broad range of circumstances), must be developed for coordination of activities and collaboration among state agencies and other key partners.

The child care disaster plan must address the following components for providers serving children in CCDF child care services (both licensed and licensed-exempt):

States must also identify requirements for staff and volunteer emergency preparedness training and practice drills.

In addition, the statewide child care disaster plan must provide guidelines for the continuation of child care services, including, but not limited to, provision of emergency and temporary child care services, and temporary operating standards for child care providers.

[1] CCDBG Act of 2014 658E(c)(2)(U) and Child Care and Development Fund, 45 C.F.R. § 98.16(aa) (2016).

[2] Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Sec.102 (42 U.S.C. § 5122).