Helping Your Child Through the Crisis

Childcare During and After a Disaster

Immediately after a disaster and during the recovery period, you may worry about your child care. Where will your children be safe? Who can watch them while you are busy dealing with agencies, cleaning, and repairs? If you do not already have regular childcare arrangements, check with churches, clergy, church members, childcare facilities, relatives, sitters, or neighbors. After-school or summer school activities would give the child a meaningful place to be and would free you to deal with the crisis. Library programs, foster grandparent agencies, 4-H clubs, and church youth groups are other alternatives.

General Guidelines

• Spend more time with your child. Use part of that time to talk.

• Your child will be comforted by familiar surroundings. Get copies of photos from family and friends and allow your child to replace lost stuffed animals.

• Expect to have greater difficulty at times of separation (leaving for school, bedtime) and provide extra reassurance. Let your child know where you are. Daytime phone calls can help reassure your child.

• Monitor your child’s viewing of the disaster on television and other media. Repeated viewing of disaster scenes can be traumatic. If possible, watch with your child and discuss the programs you see.

• Allow your child to discuss the disaster, but do not force it. When discussing it, emphasize that he or she is now safe.

Prepared by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, NC State University
8/00—JMG