Child Care Resources for Disasters and Emergencies

A primary goal of the Office of Child Care (OCC) is to help ensure early childhood programs support children's healthy growth and development. This goal becomes especially important in the event of a major disaster or emergency, as children are among our most vulnerable populations. Child care can be a critical human service needed to help protect the safety of children and support the stabilization of families after a disaster. Child care prevents children from being left alone or in unsafe environments and can help expedite recovery efforts by ensuring that children are safe while parents visit damaged property, access public benefits, and make other efforts to rebuild their lives.

COVID-19 Resources

• COVID-19 Guidance for CCDF Programs and Policymakers
• COVID-19 Information for Families and Child Care Providers

Resources for CCDF Grantees

• Office of Child Care Emergency Preparedness Response and Recovery Technical Assistance
• Protecting Children in Child Care Settings During Emergencies (PDF): A resource from Save the Children and Child Care Aware of America
• Information Memorandum CCDF-ACF-IM-2017-02: Flexibility in Spending CCDF Funds in Response to Federal or State Declared Emergency Situations
• Emergency Preparedness Checklist for CCDF Administrators (PDF)
• Child Care and Pandemic Flu Checklist (PDF)

Resources for Child Care Providers

• Information from the State Capacity Building Center
• Tools, Publications and Resources from Child Care Aware of America
• Information and tools from the National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness
• Key Child Care Resources for Disasters and Emergencies
• Bringing Children Back to Flood-Stricken Areas Safely
• Information Memorandum CCDF-ACF-IM-2017-01: Statewide Disaster Plan (or Disaster Plan for a Tribe’s service area) for Child Care