Page 31 - Creating a Community of Resiliency

Preparedness and Response Readiness: R&R Agencies
Awareness of Legal Mandates or Requirements
Based on the focus group discussion, what is and is not required is not clear. Providers find out what is required through websites, licensing orientation, CCIP , and the R&R trainers. Some agencies have additional programs that have more requirements than general licensed child care programs (such as Head Start); these agencies have the capacity to do more for providers based on regulations and requirements for those programs.
“As a trainer I also tell the providers that they should have an evacuation plan. Providers say the information on the website is overwhelming so we summarize what they need to do and give it to them.”
Emergencies and Disasters Relevant to Child Care in Los Angeles
R&R staff indicated that early care and education providers are most at risk for:
 Fires in the facility (e.g., kitchen fires)
 Earthquakes
 School lockdowns
 Fires in certain geographic areas
 Smoke
 Winds
 School shootings
 Choking
 SIDS if working with infants
Further prompts sparked a discussion regarding the threat of violence.
“Providers have talked about that. They’ve talked about wanting to do a child abuse report but being afraid for their life if the parent is a gang member or something like that. Others talked about the abandoned houses in their neighborhood because of the foreclosures and not wanting to go outside.”
R&R Perception of Early Care and Education Providers’ Preparation
Focus group participants agreed that providers are slightly more prepared for earthquakes, fires, and power outages than they are for outbreaks/pandemics and threats of violence, and that some providers are more prepared than others. (For example, those in programs with more requirements such as Head Start are more prepared.). The group agreed that non- licensed providers are less prepared than licensed providers for earthquakes, fires, power outages, outbreaks/pandemics, and threats of violence. Because there is no legal requirement for non‐licensed providers to be prepared, part of the group expressed that they are no more prepared than the general public. However, because non-licensed providers have participated
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