Action Plan 1: Supporting Children’s Needs Following a Disaster
Effects of Hurricane Katrina on young children in New Orleans, Mississippi, and Alabama
The young children in Hurricane Katrina affected areas undergone a series of physical and emotional distress. To understand the distresses, it is vital to approach the concept from childhood professional understanding, disaster expertise point of view, and learning the negative effects basing on the impacts.
What early childhood professionals need to know to understand the need for young children
- Various risks that children face when such a disaster strike such as medical needs, protection risks, physical risks, and developmental risks.
- Mental health concerns, especially the needs relating to children.
- Physical health and trauma that children are likely to face.
- Essential services for the full development of a child such as early education and care.
- The children’s welfare and psychosocial development aspects.
Useful information and/or suggestions from experts
- Creating a relationship with the children to encourage personal psychological support on frightening matters.
- Parents and teachers are encouraged to remain calm and reassuring because children usually take cues from them. Although they should acknowledge the losses and destruction, they should assure the children friends and families will take care of the damages.
- Prevent any form of access to frightening images that depict the natural disaster that occurs that promotes children’s confusion and disturbance. However, adults should be prepared for repeated questions with a lack of exposure.
- Emphasize children’s resiliency by focusing on their competencies.
- Put in place measures that prepare them psychologically to handle the impact of the natural disaster by organizing them into friendship zones and peer support groups.
Natural disasters when they strike they cause adverse effects that translate to physical and emotional problems not only to the children but also adults at large. For instance, Hurricane Katrina led to washing away homes and houses. Therefore, some problems that are associated with the impact of Hurricane Katrina on children include (1) Lack of shelter and security is the natural disaster displaced them from their homes and houses. (2) Death of families, friends, and relatives that results in traumatization as they are left without someone to take care of them. As an early childhood professional, when handling children and families faced with such problems, you should be cautious to handle physical, mental, and emotional challenges. Therefore, as a professional, I would encourage the communities, friends, and well-wishes to provide financial and non-financial assistance to the affected families and friends. Further, I would encourage counseling sessions for the affected families especially those who lost their loved ones during the natural disaster. Additionally, I would provide, promote, and be sensitive to engagement and developmental opportunities for the affected families and children’s concerns.
Summary
Learning about the effects of such natural disasters helps understand the impact such disasters have on children and families. Generally, for one to understand the situation such as families and children undergo, the professional perspective plays an important role to enlighten what should be taken into consideration. Further experts encourage building togetherness with the affected families and encouraging children’s resiliency.
References
Pruett, K. (2018, October 23). Helping Young Children Cope with Natural Disasters. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/once-upon-child/201810/helping-young-children-cope-natural-disasters.
Lazarus, P. J., Jimerson, S. R., & Brock, S. E. (2012). Helping children after a natural disaster: information for parents and teachers. National Association of School Psychologists, Bethesda, MD. 2993.