Child Welfare Services Disaster Planning and Response

The Child Welfare Services Disaster Planning and Response Unit (DPRU) was created in 2021 to provide additional support to Child Welfare and Probation agencies across the state due to an increase in disasters in California. The DPRU is in the Children's Services Quality Management Branch (CSQMB) with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).

The DPRU collaborates with the 58 counties to establish an effective process for creating, activating, and operating an emergency and disaster preparedness plan as it relates to Child Welfare Services (CWS) children, Probation children, non-minor dependents, including non-minor dependents residing in foster care, out-of-county placements, children placed in or out of California through the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), cross coordination with Tribal representative for Indian children in placement, and out-of-state non-minor dependents under the care or supervision of the state who are displaced or that have been adversely affected by a disaster. Since many of these children reside in multiple jurisdictional areas, which are supervised by local child welfare agencies and CDSS, specific planning for this population is necessary.

In addition to providing support to Child Welfare and Probation agencies across the state in their development of county specific disaster plans, the DPRU aims to provide relevant resources and helpful support to those agencies and the children/youth and families impacted by a disaster at the time of a disaster. As well as keep record and track useful data regarding the impacts disasters have on Child Welfare and Probation operations. Furthermore, the DPRU intends to use that data to inform opportunities for improved disaster preparedness and for securing available disaster funding.

The DPRU aligns itself with the following four emergency management phases:

1. Preparedness Phase (including increased readiness):
   The preparedness phase involves activities taken in advance of an emergency and include mitigation, emergency/disaster planning, meeting with counties to review current CWS Disaster Response Plan and provide feedback, and public education. These activities develop operational capabilities and effective response to a disaster.
2. Response Phase (including Pre-emergency, Emergency Response, and Sustained Emergency):
   When a large-scale disaster is inevitable, actions are precautionary and emphasize protection of life. Activities during this phase include outreach to county(ies) affected to ensure the safety of children/youth, families, and staff; and communicating and coordinating services and information with local government agencies and child welfare personnel in areas adversely affected by a disaster.
3. Recovery Phase:
   During the recovery phase, procedures for the DPRU include reviewing and updating the county Child Welfare Disaster Response Plan Template and Guide for improvements in disaster preparedness to better address the needs of all children/youth and their families.
4. Mitigation Phase:
   Mitigation efforts occur both before and following disaster events and include eliminating or reducing the impact of hazards which exist with the State and are a threat to life and property. Mitigating these hazards, both before and after a disaster is particularly important when evaluating the impact on dependent and probationary children under the care or supervision of the State.

Resources and Information

Below are tools and resources that can be used to prepare for disasters:

• Disaster Relief Updates
  • Temporarily broaden program requirements for monthly caseworker visits
• Resources for Counties Experiencing Disasters
  • Cal OES - State Recovery Resources
  • Cal Fire Homepage
  • Cal Fire – Fire Preparedness Resources
  • Cal OES – My Hazards: A tool for the general public to discover hazards in their area (earthquake, flood, fire, and tsunami) and learn steps to reduce personal risk
  • Disaster Services Branch
  • SafeMeasures

• Additional Information/Best Practices
  • Building Capacity for Disaster Preparedness at a Child Welfare Agency by Capacity Building Center for States
  • Cal Fresh Program – Disaster Response Resources: Information to assist County Welfare Departments with the implementation of Disaster Cal Fresh and general emergency response.
  • Child Trends: A toolkit for Child Welfare Agencies to help young people heal and thrive during and after natural disasters.
  • CCL Disaster Resources: Resources and information for providers who are impacted by natural disasters and catastrophic events.
  • Deaf Access Program: Resources and information for California’s public programs in providing services to deaf and hard of hearing people.
  • Disability Disaster Access & Resources: Assisting Individuals with Disabilities and Older Adults in Disaster Readiness and Recovery.
  • Working with Children, Youth, and Families on Disaster Preparedness (December 2021)
  • Disaster Preparedness Resource Guide for Child Welfare Agencies by The Annie E. Casey Foundation
  • California Child Welfare Indicators Project: Data and technical assistance to promote child welfare system improvement.
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Letters and Notices
  • ACIN I-40-24 (September 9, 2024)
    The 2024 Annual Child Welfare Services (CWS) Disaster Response Plan Template And Guide Update
  • ACIN I-65-23 (November 3, 2023)
    The 2023 Annual Child Welfare Services (CWS) Disaster Response Plan Update
  • ACIN I-69-22 (October 19, 2022)
    The 2022 Annual Child Welfare Services (CWS) Disaster Response Plan Update
  • ACIN I-52-21 (September 2, 2021)
    Annual Child Welfare Services (CWS) Disaster Response Plan Update
  • ACIN I-50-18 (October 10, 2018)
    Annual Child Welfare Services (CWS) Disaster Response Plan Update
  • ACL 16-40 (May 10, 2016)
    Annual Child Welfare Services (CWS) Disaster Response Plan Update
  • ACL 14-24 (March 4, 2014)
    Child Welfare Services (CWS) Disaster Response Plan Update
  • ACL 13-21 (April 23, 2013)
    Child Welfare Services Disaster Response Plan Update