National Preparedness Month:
Teach Youth to Prepare for Disasters
The life you are building now will set the stage for your children and their future. Including your children in emergency preparedness will help build their strength and resilience in the face of natural events. Keep in mind your child’s unique perspective and incorporate programs and cater to their specific needs and development.
Check out the dedicated Ready Kids website full of resources, activities, links and more https://www.ready.gov/kids
Below are a some items to consider when delineating the role your child will play in disaster preparedness:
- Include children in preparedness conversations
- Share the building blocks of preparedness − Be Informed, Make a Plan, Build a Kit and Get Involved.
- Know the emergency plan for your child’s school and child care facility
- Get children involved in preparing a disaster kit
- Practice emergency procedures and evacuations regularly with children
- Learn and teach coping skills for during and after an emergency
- Make sure children have emergency contacts written down in a secure place
- Teach kids when and how to call important phone numbers like 9-1-1
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