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Major Step Taken to Keep Children Safe Following a U.S. Disaster
Washington, DC (June 21, 2007) — Save the Children has joined the American Red Cross and the Church of the Brethren's Children's Disaster Services in signing an agreement to ensure children are not forgotten in America's emergency evacuation shelters. The agreement puts Save the Children's "Safe Space" kits in U.S. shelters to provide children with supervised activities in a secure location.
"Emergency shelters place children and their families in cramped quarters, in the midst of strangers, and lack toys, safe places to play and structured activities for children," said Mark Shriver, Vice President and Managing Director of Save the Children's U.S. Programs. "Under this agreement, children in evacuation shelters will be allowed to play, learn, socialize and express themselves under the supervision of a caring adult, giving them a sense of normalcy which can help them recover from the experience of weathering a disaster."
Safe Space kits contain materials that can be used to set-up and establish a safe space within a shelter. These pre-packaged kits contain materials to mark off a special area for children, activity supplies (such as art materials, books, games and toys), and other materials to assist children and families in a shelter environment. The structured, supervised activities offered in Safe Spaces are designed to strengthen children's resilience and help them begin to work through their emotions following a disaster.
The tri-lateral agreement signed today defines the broad cooperative actions of each organization. Depending on the scope and scale of the disaster and impact and available resources, the Red Cross will provide space in shelters for children's services, Save the Children will provide equipment and materials in the form of a Safe Space kit and Children's Disaster Services will provide volunteers to work with children in the shelter.
As June 1 marked the beginning of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, now is the time for individuals and families to prepare for the unexpected and have a pre-established evacuation plan. Identify locations in your community which may serve as evacuation shelters during a severe storm or flooding. Assemble a disaster supplies kit for your home now. Make sure to include a first aid kit containing essential medications and at least three gallons of water per person in your home. Canned food and a can opener are a must along with protective clothing and raingear. Be sure to also include a battery powered radio, flashlight and extra batteries in case of a power outage and store supplies in a waterproof, easy-to-carry container, such as a plastic tub with handles.
