Caring for children is a big task under normal circumstances. When something out of control happens, such as a natural disaster or emergency event, caring for children becomes an even greater responsibility. Therefore, child care providers must be trained in emergency preparedness, response and recovery (EPRR).
Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs) are a constant presence in local communities and serve as a trusted resource for child care providers and families. They often provide child care programs with training, start-up support, health consultation and multiple levels of technical assistance.
CCR&R staff frequently serve as subject matter experts in EPRR. Related job duties typically include emergency preparedness plan reviews for child care programs, emergency preparedness training delivery, distribution of emergency supplies, and support to the child care workforce following a disaster. These responsibilities are typically added to another role within CCR&R and are often not listed in a job description. Many CCR&R staff had no experience or training in emergency preparedness, response and recovery before taking on the role. In many CCR&R organizations, emergency preparedness, response and recovery is a role that surfaces just after a disaster occurs and may be short-term. In other instances, usually driven by grant fund availability, emergency preparedness work is prioritized for a defined period of time, but not always sustained or embedded in ongoing service delivery.
Competencies Resource for CCR&Rs
Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) aims to support CCR&Rs by developing resources that will assist in efforts to enhance and advance the early care system, including strengthening of emergency preparedness, response and recovery work. To support this goal, CCAoA developed a competencies framework for CCR&R staff and leaders to professionalize and support work in child care emergency preparedness, response and recovery.
The development of these competencies included a thorough review of existing standards and competencies for similar fields, such as public health, infant and child mental health consultation, and child care health consultation. In addition, CCAoA surveyed multiple CCR&R staff, hosted focus groups to draw on the experience of CCR&R staff, and worked with subject matter experts to identify the competencies necessary to be successful in the role of delivering emergency preparedness, response and recovery services.
CCR&R Competencies for Child Care Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery is a tool to help CCR&Rs and staff working with a focus on emergency preparedness, response and recovery. After using this resource, CCR&R staff will have a better understanding of how to be effective and efficient in their roles in supporting child care emergency preparedness, response and recovery.
Manageable Areas of Focus
Because emergency preparedness, response and recovery is a vast topic, CCR&R Competencies for Child Care Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery breaks down child care emergency preparedness, response and recovery responsibilities into streamlined, manageable areas of focus. It helps provide focus and build confidence in those performing these duties within their own CCR&R organization, with child care programs/providers and community partners.
CCR&R Competencies for Child Care Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery is divided into three overall domains.
- CCR&R Programming
- Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Practices
- Collaboration
Each domain identifies specific competencies that support it. Competencies are broken down into knowledge, skills and abilities, behaviors and other characteristics (dispositions).
Uses for the CCR&R Competencies for Child Care Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery
CCR&R Competencies for Child Care Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery can serve as a starting point and framework for CCR&Rs who are working to better understand and meet workforce development needs, improve performance and enhance the safety of communities they serve.
CCR&R staff who work in emergency preparedness, response and recovery, or those who supervise staff who do the work, should familiarize themselves with CCR&R Competencies for Child Care Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery. This resource should be used in addition to competencies for CCR&R staff in general. It can support staff in multiple ways:
- Justify the inclusion of a child care emergency preparedness, response and recovery subject matter expert as a permanent CCR&R position.
- Build and update job descriptions and ensure staff tasked with these responsibilities are prepared to do the job effectively.
- Embed child care emergency preparedness, response and recovery work into multiple CCR&R roles, as appropriate.
- Identify and/or develop professional development opportunities for all staff to build and strengthen their knowledge, skills and dispositions around child care emergency preparedness, response and recovery.
- Incorporate competencies into the performance evaluation process.
- Develop competency-based interview questions.
Identifying the competencies for CCR&R staff who are leading emergency preparedness, response and recovery work should lead to better outcomes and increase the sustainability of this important work.
If you have any questions about this resource, please reach out to preparedness@usa.childcareaware.org.
