What kids need during disasters
The report examines what kids need to survive and thrive in the context of disasters, aligned against ARACY’s The Nest wellbeing framework for children and young people. With six connected areas, The Nest provides a measure for ensuring young Australians have everything they need for the best start in life, helping them reach their highest potential. These areas are: Healthy; Valued, loved and safe; Participating; Identity and culture; Material basics; and Learning.
Among many findings, the report found that:
- Secure and connected family relationships are one of the most protective factors for children against trauma impacts. Disconnection from primary caregivers can have long-lasting negative effects on wellbeing.
- Current disaster management recognises that a return to routine, in education and play, has enormous protective benefits for children. Recovery time can be enhanced through guided but autonomous exploration of their experiences and there are resources available to support this.
- Domestic violence is exacerbated by the stress of disaster.
- Involving children across all phases of disaster management in age-appropriate ways is an effective strategy to build resilience.
- Given the additional significance of connection to Country for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, it is imperative that Australian DM arrangements include, and are co-designed with, Indigenous communities and children, to offer culturally safe and accessible communications, planning, and resourcing.
- In terms of material basics, evidence found that families who were better prepared with longer-term provisions of food and water were less anxious during disasters. However, households with children under 18 years of age were among the subpopulations identified as less likely to have planned sufficient food and water provisions.
- Schools play a crucial role in DM, presenting a place for children to participate and learn, access to trusted and supportive educators and are often a haven in response and recovery phases.
Gearing our systems
The report highlights that specialised infant, child, youth and family services, clinicians and practitioners are not consistently involved or invited to contribute to disaster management.
Gearing our systems in Queensland to better recognise and support kids in disasters will require a range of systems level changes and investments, including:
Concerted leadership: In the form of political support at all levels, clear governance, shared mission and language, targeted long-term investment and cross-sectoral collaboration.
An engaged public: Sharing information, knowledge, decision-making and action requires socially and culturally inclusive and capable relationship building and communication efforts by disaster management authorities and buy-in from local people and groups.
Workforce development: To ensure a consistent and coordinated approach to infant, child and youth resilience among the volunteer and professional workforces interacting with kids during disasters.
Integrated delivery: Better coordination of the service sectors, disaster management agencies and communities focused on kids’ needs.
Data: It is critical that investment activities are driven by robust evidence, outcomes and shared measurement; however, to date, data about children’s experiences of disasters has not been consistently collected or considered.
Get involved
Systems change requires many hands from many walks of life. If you’d like to get involved, please get in touch with Jacinta Perry, TKiD Project Lead, [email protected].
More information
Read the TKiD report
Read the case study about JVT funding
Link to TQKP
Link to TKiD
