Families with children and youth with special healthcare needs are among the most vulnerable populations during disasters and emergencies. These families often face significant challenges, including limited access to resources, specialized equipment, medications, and support services that are critical for their children's health and safety. As a result, achieving an adequate level of disaster readiness requires a coordinated effort involving both the families and the broader community, including healthcare providers, emergency managers, and support networks.

To address this critical need, a series of brief, engaging educational videos was created to instruct and empower families by focusing on the disaster preparedness that is unique to their family. They offer practical guidance on essential topics to help equip families with the knowledge and confidence they need to protect their children’s well-being in emergencies.

A well-prepared emergency management system is critical for ensuring that regions and communities are equipped to effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies — especially when meeting children's unique needs. Children are particularly vulnerable during crises due to their physical, emotional, and developmental needs, making it essential to incorporate pediatric-specific considerations into all aspects of emergency planning.

By systematically applying the Pediatric Hazard Vulnerability Assessment, Pediatric After-Action Report and the Regional Metrics Scorecard, communities can build stronger, more resilient systems that ensure the safety and well-being of children before, during, and after a disaster. Proactive planning today can make a life-saving difference when emergencies strike.

This curriculum will establish a foundational framework for the ongoing development of accessible and engaging educational programs designed to improve outcomes for children affected by disasters. By prioritizing evidence-based strategies, inclusive practices, and age-appropriate learning methods, the curriculum seeks to equip providers with the tools necessary to address the unique physical, emotional, and developmental needs of children in emergencies. Furthermore, the framework is designed with scalability in mind, offering opportunities for expansion to encompass a wide range of providers, including educators, healthcare professionals, emergency responders, and community leaders who care for and support children. Ultimately, this initiative aims to create a comprehensive and adaptable educational model that enhances learning related to caring for children in disasters.

The healthcare supply chain is complex. It supports patient care daily by producing and delivering medications as well as products ranging from gloves and gowns to diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and biomedical equipment, to surgical supplies.

Around the world, the healthcare supply chain faces numerous challenges every day. During disasters or other events, the healthcare supply chain can experience distinct strains depending on the nature of the event and the impact on surrounding infrastructure.

The Telehealth Workgroup for Region V for Kids is dedicated to strengthening and expanding the regional telehealth capabilities across children's hospitals, critical access hospitals, and rural hospitals. By fostering collaboration and leveraging technological innovation, the workgroup aims to develop a sustainable, telehealth programs and educational tools to ensure healthcare providers are prepared to participate in telehealth care in case of a disaster event. This initiative focuses on providing emergency departments with tools to help build capacity and improve coordination efforts among healthcare providers, and enhance the delivery of specialized pediatric care through telehealth platforms. By creating these tools, hospitals can improve not only their everyday pediatric readiness but also their readiness and response capabilities during public health emergencies or disaster events. Ultimately, the goal is to bridge gaps in pediatric care, promote overall health, and ensure that all children in the region have access to high-quality, expert-driven medical services.

The Trauma Workgroup's mission is to advance high-quality, evidence-based trauma care through collaboration, education, and continuous improvement. This mission motivated the group to develop the Surgical & Perioperative Unit Disaster (SPUD) Framework. This customizable framework outlines best practices, protocols, and guidelines for navigating the complexities of mass casualty trauma care.

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