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Action Plans

Sonja Jordan

EDUC 1006: Child, Family, and Community Relationships

Instructor Sachs

July 14, 2019

Understanding the needs of families and children affected by disasters- hurricane Katrina

Any form of disaster whether ma made or natural have effects on children health wise and emotionally (Redlener, 2006). According to (Madrid et al., 2006), there are different stages of children response to a disaster; however, the long lasting effects of a disaster may not necessarily appear immediately after the disaster instead they surface later. Therefore continued support of children is important. Different disaster occurrences have different effects on children. In order to understand specific needs of children affected by disasters, early childhood professionals needs to;

· Have information of the cultural beliefs systems, norms and customs. Promotion of children’s well-being after a disaster needs to be culturally appropriate and sensitive to family history

· Work together with local stake holders and important community members to assess and understand the needs of the community.

· Work closely with schools in order to understand the routine and behaviour of children in the community. It is also easy to reach out to children through school.

· Understand the economic status of the community in order to understand the needs of children.

· Reach out to Hospitals, social networks and medical care centres in order to assess the healthcare needs of the children

Useful information from experts pertaining to understanding needs of families and children affected by disasters include;

· American Psychological Association recommends extending provision and availability of quality services and resources to affected children and families beyond just the initial post-disaster phase. This will meet the needs of children and family to cope with the long term effects of a disaster.

· Society for Community Research and Action: Division of Community Psychology reports that in order to assess and get a true picture of children’s and family needs after a disaster, reaching out to traditionally marginalized and disenfranchised groups is key.

· U.S Disaster Relies at Home and Abroad recommends focusing on the caregiver-child dyad, especially when assessing the needs of young children

· The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says that in order to understand the needs of children affected by disaster, it is important to work closely with the parents. Attending to the well-being of adults is important.

· McCormick, an associate professor in the Milken Institute School of Public Health encourages dividing recovery process into stages- dealing with the immediate impacts then the long term impacts.

Hurricane Katrina has impacted negatively on the lives of young people in New Orleans. Increased substance abuse among the youths is one of the major problems witnessed. Homelessness and family disorganization cause severe trauma and stress among the youths. (Clay, 2001). As a way of helping teenagers cope with the challenges, childhood professionals can work with clinical providers to provide Multi-Dimensional Family Therapy (MDFT). MDFT is a treatments approach for teen substance abuse and related problems. Trauma-focused interventions are essential- having individual sessions with the teens. This will help affected individuals understand physical signs and symptoms of trauma hence act accordingly to regulate the emotions they experience (Ford, 2006).

The effects of hurricane Katrina gives lessons on the need for preparedness for disasters and most importantly that disasters have serious effects on young adults. Some of the effects may be overlooked but their overall effects are destructive.

References

Madrid, P.A., Grant, R., Reilly, M.J., & Redlener, N.B. (2006). Short-term impact of a major disaster on children’s mental health: Building resiliency in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Pediatrics, 117, S448-S453

American Academy of Pediatrics (2005). Psychosocial implications of disaster or terrorism on children: A guide for pediatricians. Pediatrics, 116, 787-795

Bukatko, D., & Daehler, M.W. (2001). Child Development: A thematic approach (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Clay, R.A. (2010, July). Treating children traumatized: Five years after Katrina, new data are illuminating the best ways to help children after natural disasters. APA Monitor, 41(7), 36-39