The COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, extreme weather events, and other disasters remind us that our community resilience, including economic resilience, depends upon a return to normalcy for children and the programs that serve them, even if it’s a new normal. Without prioritizing normalcy for children, a return to life-as-usual remains a distant aspiration for caregivers and parents. Establishing routine in a child’s life after the disruption caused by a disaster opens the door for the community and economic recovery to begin.

The Resilient Children/Resilient Communities Initiative (RCRC), funded by a grant from the global healthcare company, GSK, has created a series of issue briefs that are a reflection of five years of community-based work in six communities across the United States and its territories. This webinar will present RCRC perspectives on child care and mental health and their intersection with disaster policy from North Carolina Community Resilience Coalition (CRC) members.

Panelists:

  • Jackie Ratner – Resilient Children/Resilient Communities, Senior Project Manager, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University
  • Dr. Danny Stedman, Executive Director, Communities in Schools of Robeson County; Resilient Children/Resilient Communities, Coalition Member
  • Mebane Boyd – Director, New Hanover County Resiliency Task Force, Communities in School, Cape Fear, North Carolina; Resilient Children/Resilient Communities, Community Champion

Host:

Dale Willman – Associate Director, Initiative on Communication and Sustainability, Earth Institute, Columbia University; NPR Journalist

Resources:

RCRC Toolbox

RCRC Issue Briefs