FEMA for Kids to help children cope with storm emergencies

Dates of programs in Middlesex County to be released soon

BY STELLA MORRISON
Staff Writer

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is implementing its FEMA For Kids program throughout the state in order to aid the preparedness and recovery process for families with children.

The program, which FEMA can bring into community programs after a disaster, focuses on children ages 4 to 11. Its aim is to advocate for disaster preparedness with tips and advice that children can bring home to parents, according to FEMA Public Information Officer Chris McKniff.

“At this time in disaster recovery, we’ve moved on from immediate needs,” McKniff said. “This is something that [the community] can do to plan for the future.”

An experience such as superstorm Sandy may be traumatic for children whose homes were affected during the storm, and FEMA For Kids aims to explain storm-related issues in a relatable and comforting fashion, he said.

“Events as traumatic as this [can be difficult] for kids who have been distinctively affected, displaced or who saw their parents stressed in the past few months,” McKniff said. “Our personnel can address it in a fun way with different props, art or games. They can explain the storm so that it’s not immediate or serious. Instead, it will be a fun and engaging program for the kids.”

While children are already taught what to do in an emergency in schools, McKniff said FEMA’s program is “a bit different” from standard safety programs.

“We go in and teach the importance of having an emergency plan and a ‘go kit’ with a flashlight and batteries,” he said. “We teach them the importance of having cash in emergencies. We essentially educate kids on what just happened and what to do for the future.”

McKniff said the program identifies terms that may be unfamiliar to children but were used during storm preparations and recovery during superstorm Sandy. Time is spent defining words such as “shelter” and “evacuation” to help children get a better grasp on what exactly happens during an extreme event.

“They aren’t just learning about how to dial 911,” McKniff said. “They are going to discuss what they’ve gone through, and words that they’ve heard before will be defined.”

Ultimately, McKniff said, the program intends for children to bring the information they learned to their parents so that families can come up with their own disaster plans.

“This is something where the kids can go home and talk to their parents about what they learned and maybe educate their parents a bit about putting together a plan,” McKniff said.

Schools and YMCAs in impacted areas of Middlesex and Monmouth counties will host FEMA For Kids in the upcoming weeks. Times, dates and locations will be announced in each community.

Contact Stella Morrison at [email protected].