Page 74 - Creating a Community of Resiliency

Conclusions and Recommendations
Effective use of technology should be explored in the future. For example, to ensure the information collected is widely available, the training toolkit could be published to the LACDPH and CCALA websites. DVDs could be developed in English, Spanish, and Chinese and be based on centers and family child care environments separately. The use of robo-call or robo-text to communicate quickly to early childhood educators could be explored for cost and feasibility at each of the R&R agencies.
Future research should document the process to convene the ECE emergency preparedness advisory or network groups around disaster preparedness and response. This process evaluation would be greatly beneficial to audiences who may be interested in creating similar groups. Results should be disseminated through conferences attended by R&R staff and management (e.g., the California R&R Network conference or the national R&R conference). Research could also compare the sustainability and use of the information when early childhood educators attend one workshop compared to those who attend workshops annually. Another potential research opportunity is to compare the emergency-related knowledge and skill levels of those who participate in an ECE emergency preparedness advisory group with those who do not.
California regulations currently require licensed child care providers to have an emergency plan and to have it posted in a visible location. Current proposed changes in legislation could require early childhood educators to participate in emergency preparedness training in order to get licensed. A potential research opportunity is to compare levels of preparedness among licensed child care providers before and after this legislation becomes law (if it does). Additionally, if this legislation goes into effect, this could greatly increase the demand for emergency preparedness
workshops and lead to a pipeline for ECE emergency preparedness advisory groups within communities.
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