Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery for Children

In October 2026, Hurricane Isaias struck the Gulf Coast, bringing damaging winds, flooding, and widespread disruption to communities across Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. Families faced urgent needs for essential supplies, safe shelter, and support for young children. 

Ahead of landfall, Save the Children activated its anticipatory action approach, providing emergency cash assistance to vulnerable families to support evacuation and preparedness. Working alongside local and national partners, we mobilized critical child-focused supplies and supported affected childcare programs to help children and families recover. Our response reached 4,032 individuals, including 3,998 children.

In September and October 2026, severe flooding devastated communities across northwestern New Mexico and the Four Corners region, including communities of the Navajo Nation. Repeated heavy rainfall damaged homes, disrupted essential services, and created urgent needs for families in remote and underserved areas. 

Save the Children launched an emergency response in coordination with local partners and Navajo Nation stakeholders, mobilizing essential relief supplies, children's activity and care kits, and resources for families affected by the flooding. Our response has reached over 7,5060 individuals, prioritizing vulnerable children and caregivers in rural communities where access to assistance can be particularly challenging.

In August 2026, devastating wildfires swept across Washington State, forcing widespread evacuations, destroying homes, and disrupting the lives of thousands of children and families, including communities of the Yakama and Colville Tribes. 

Save the Children mobilized an emergency response alongside tribal governments, community organizations, and national partners, providing essential supplies and emergency assistance while coordinating child-focused support for displaced families. Our response reached 9,366 individuals, including 4,206 children, helping families meet immediate needs and begin recovering from the devastating fires.

In January 2026, Winter Storm Fern brought extreme winter weather, freezing temperatures, and widespread disruptions across multiple states, leaving vulnerable families struggling to access food, warmth, and other essentials. 

Save the Children rapidly activated its emergency cash assistance program, providing $22,500 in direct cash assistance to 72 families, supporting caregivers in purchasing urgently needed supplies. Our response reached 256 individuals, including 150 children, helping families meet their immediate needs during the severe winter conditions.

In January 2025, a series of catastrophic wildfires tore through the Los Angeles region, devastating communities across Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Altadena, and Pasadena. Entire neighborhoods were reduced to ash, thousands of people were displaced, and children lost homes, routines, and safe places to learn and play. 

In the immediate aftermath, Save the Children and our local partners provided emergency childcare, essential supplies, education support, psychosocial programming, and critical cash assistance to help families stabilize.

When Hurricanes Helene and Milton tore through the Southeast, communities across North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia faced catastrophic losses. Homes were destroyed, schools were damaged, and nearly 500 childcare centers—places families depended on for safety, learning, and routine—were forced to close. For thousands of children, the environments that once offered stability vanished overnight. 

Throughout 2025, Save the Children continued a largescale, multi‑state response focused on meeting the long-term recovery needs of children and their families. We provided essential supplies, educational recovery programming, mental health support and emergency cash assistance.

Identify trusted contacts, decide how family members will communicate, choose meeting and reunification locations, and plan for school or child care pickup. Include medications, accessibility needs and child-specific supplies. Review the plan with children in age-appropriate language and update it when family circumstances change.

In addition to household emergency supplies, include items that meet each child’s needs, such as medication, age-appropriate food, hygiene supplies, copies of important information, comfort items and simple activities. Tailor the kit to your family and check it regularly

Talk about the emergencies that could affect your community, explain the family plan in simple language and practice what to do. Give children manageable roles, reinforce which adults they can trust and answer questions calmly without overwhelming them with frightening details.

Follow instructions from local emergency authorities, keep children with a trusted adult whenever possible and use your communication and reunification plan. Explain what is happening in clear, age-appropriate language and limit exposure to distressing information or images.

Reestablish familiar routines when possible, listen to your child’s concerns and provide safe opportunities to play, learn and connect. Use simple, honest language and watch for signs that additional support may be helpful. Caregivers can also seek guidance from schools, health providers and trusted community resources.

Save the Children helps meet immediate needs, supports education and child care recovery, and promotes children’s mental health and safety. We work with national and local partners to deliver emergency cash assistance, child-focused supplies, child-friendly spaces, learning support and recovery programs.