Page 27 - Creating a Community of Resiliency

Training Toolkit Design
In designing a curriculum it is important to keep challenges in mind. Although early care and education providers in the process of obtaining a license from the state of California must submit a disaster and mass casualty plan to Community Care Licensing (CCL) and practice it every 6 months, some providers do not practice, review, or update the plan after it is initially created. The challenge is not only getting the information to early care and education providers but also helping them keep that information “alive” to prepare for a future emergency.
CCRC has an extensive role in training early care and education providers and used this expertise to evaluate the feasibility of using the available toolkits and other program resources identified in the research. CCRC identified the following key areas and incorporated them into the training toolkit specifically designed for early care and education providers in Los Angeles County:
 Three-phase plan that includes planning, response, and recovery
 Examples of how to handle different types of emergencies
 Visual materials
 Written emergency plan
 Communication plan
 Evacuation plan
 Drills
 Supplies
 Partnerships
 Family involvement
CCRC also developed best practices based on the review of existing toolkits:
 Avoid information overwhelm.
 Avoid excessive negative messages: doom and gloom, feeling of hopelessness.
 Do not rely solely on supplies.
 Support a sense of empowerment, commitment, and motivation.
 Offer feasible and relevant activities that will be easy to accomplish.
 Highlight small, simple activities that can make a big difference.
 Provide ideas to keep the planning and preparedness toolkit concepts “alive.”
 Incorporate in-person training and online support.
 Take into consideration low-literacy and English as a second language.
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