Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — A new report ranks Arkansas as one of the top states in readiness to protect children during disasters.

The report by Save the Children’s U.S. division states that Arkansas is one of seven states to satisfy four “crucial minimum standards” of preparedness to respond to the needs of children during a disaster.

Arkansas met the standards identified by the nonprofit organization by ensuring that schools and child care facilities have plans in place for evacuation and relocation; reunification; care for special-needs children at child care facilities; and multi-hazard plans at schools.

The report, titled “The Disaster Decade: Lessons Unlearned for the United States,” argues that disasters such as the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and Hurricane Katrina revealed that disaster relief systems did not adequately address the needs of children, yet most states have not done enough to improve their disaster response plans.

The report also recommends the adoption of federal legislation to protect children through a five-point plan:

1.    Establish national disaster preparedness standards for child care centers and schools.

2.    Establish a children’s advocacy office at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

3.    Make child care centers eligible for federal disaster aid.

4.    Establish a White House commission on the effects of the recession on children.

5.    Create a federal public awareness campaign to educate families about protecting children during disasters.

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On the Net:

http://savethechildren.org/disaster-decade-report