Disasters and kids: APHA shares tips for well-being

Image: FEMA/Patsy Lynch

Children find comfort in daily routines. They wake up, eat breakfast, go to school, play with friends. When emergencies or disasters disrupt their routine, kids can become confused or frightened.

So how can we help kids be more resilient before, during and after emergencies? Four of APHA’s member groups set out to answer that question during a May webinar.

Organized by the Injury Control and Emergency Services Section, Public Health Education Health Promotion Section, Maternal and Child Health Section and Mental Health Section, the webinar brought together real-world experts in community preparedness, emergency medicine and children’s mental health to weigh in.

A recording of the webinar, “Fostering Resilience in Children” is online now.

Parents can also get tips for preparing kids for disasters via our Get Ready fact sheet. Our advice? Talk with your children about the kind of emergencies that can happen and encourage them to share their fears. Reassure your children that while an emergency may be unlikely, getting prepared will help keep them and their family safe.

You can also share our kids’ preparedness fact sheet, written at their reading level, and print out our Get Ready preparedness games and puzzles.