Page 8 - Creating a Community of Resiliency

Executive Summary
 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.
 Promote an all-hazards approach.
 Identify incidents specific to child care and Los Angeles County.
 Emphasize partnerships with first responders, schools, churches, businesses, nonprofits, and R&Rs before, during, and after an emergency.
 Encourage ongoing events, drills, and trainings.
 Emphasize the importance of psychological first aid for both children and early
care and education providers.
R&R Agencies Focus Groups
Participants in a 2012 focus group of the R&R agencies discussed a number of observations. Many of these were fleshed out in detail in three working sessions convened by Save the Children almost a year later. The shift in knowledge and awareness from the focus group to the working sessions illustrated the impact of the CCRC program on the awareness and knowledge of the R&R staff. In the R&R focus group, there was discussion of the fact that the regulations were not known and were vague. (This was made clearer in the early care and education provider training workshops held in May and June 2013.) During the focus group, the R&R staff discussed providing information and resources on emergency preparedness in general. This response regarding the information they wish to impart to providers was discussed in greater detail during the working sessions.
In the 2012 focus group, the R&R staff discussed a wide range of emergencies and stated that they and the early care and education providers in their communities are mostly prepared for earthquakes and fires. R&R staff suggested a need for more support on how to deal with threats of violence. However, providers reported in their focus groups many experiences with lockdown situations. Therefore, providers may be more experienced in that area than the R&R agencies assume.
In the provider focus groups, providers listed a small number with little variety when asked to discuss potential partners for emergency preparedness. This changed dramatically
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