8.5 Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan

Lead Agencies must establish a Statewide Child Care Disaster Plan and demonstrate how they will address the needs of children—including the need for safe child care before, during, and after a state of emergency declared by the Governor or a major disaster or emergency (as defined by Section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5122)—through a Statewide Disaster Plan. 8.5.1 Statewide Disaster Plan updates a. When was the Lead Agency’s Child Care Disaster Plan most recently updated and for what reason? The Department’s Child Care Disaster Plan was most recently updated in April 2023 and was updated to ensure that all information included was still accurate and correct. b. Please certify compliance by checking the required elements the Lead Agency includes in the current State Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan. i. The plan was developed in collaboration with the following required entities: [x] State human services agency. [x] State emergency management agency. [x] State licensing agency. [x] State health department or public health department. [x] Local and State child care resource and referral agencies. [x] State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or similar coordinating body. ii. [x] The plan includes guidelines for the continuation of child care subsidies. iii. [x] The plan includes guidelines for the continuation of child care services. iv. [x] The plan includes procedures for the coordination of post-disaster recovery of child care services. v. The plan contains requirements for all CCDF providers (both licensed and license- exempt) to have in place: [x] Procedures for evacuation. [x] Procedures for relocation. [x] Procedures for shelter-in-place. [x] Procedures for communication and reunification with families. [x] Procedures for continuity of operations. [x] Procedures for accommodations of infants and toddlers. [x] Procedures for accommodations of children with disabilities. [ ] Procedures for accommodations of children with chronic medical conditions. vi. [x] The plan contains procedures for staff and volunteer emergency preparedness training. vii. [ ] The plan contains procedures for staff and volunteer practice drills. viii. If any of the above are not checked, describe: The Department is missing the following components to the current CCDF State Emergency Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recover Plan for CCDF Licensed providers: Procedures for continuity of operations and accommodations for infants and toddlers. CCDF License-exempt providers do not have in place procedures for evacuation; shelter-in-place; lockdown; staff and volunteer practice drills; and accommodations of infants and toddlers, children with disabilities and children with chronic medical conditions. This item is currently considered to be non- compliant pursuant to the Preliminary Notice of Non-Compliance dated 12/13/2021. As such, the department is making the necessary changes to its state plan; however, the changes will not be completed and available for submission as evidence of compliance prior to the October 1, 2024 state plan effective date, so the Department will need additional time to meet this requirement. ix. If available, provide the direct URL/website link to the website where the Statewide Child Care Disaster Plan is posted: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xzeRAVvk4NAQa0yNiFUrDI0yh-YJxczl/view 9 Family Outreach and Consumer Education CCDF consumer education requirements facilitate parental choice in child care arrangements, support parents as child care consumers who need information to make informed choices regarding the services that best suit their family’s needs, and the delivery of resources that can support child development and well-being. Lead Agency consumer education activities must provide information for parents receiving CCDF assistance, the general public, and, when appropriate, child care providers. Lead Agencies should use targeted strategies for each group to ensure tailored consumer education information and take steps to ensure they are effectively reaching all individuals, including those with limited English proficiency and those with disabilities. In this section, Lead Agencies address their consumer education practices, including details about their child care consumer education website, and the process for collecting and maintaining a record of parental complaints.