Preparing Foster Care Stakeholders for Disasters- Information Sharing and Emergency Collaboration

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, child welfare systems in the Gulf Coast states did not have disaster plans in place. After the storm, child welfare agencies encountered many challenges in locating lost children, continuing payments to foster families, and reconnecting foster children to needed health, educational and social services while communications systems were down and files were lost. Information and record sharing between agencies was a particular challenge.

Disaster planning is now a requirement for child welfare agencies under the Child and Family Services Improvement Act, 42 U.S.C.S.µ 622 (b)(16)(A-E)(2006). While the Act has encouraged development of disaster planning efforts, this legislation comes with little guidance on how best to achieve adequate levels of emergency preparedness within child welfare agencies or how to facilitate lawful sharing of records and other information in order to more expeditiously connect foster children to needed services post-disaster.

This discussion will begin with a survey of lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, best practices in emergency planning and management, and legal considerations for information sharing and the interstate placement of children. The presentation will include the suggestion of concrete strategies for implementing comprehensive child welfare disaster plans under the Child and Family Services Improvement Act, especially as they relate to inter-jurisdictional information sharing, while at the same time assisting child welfare agencies in their ongoing service to foster children.