Recognizing Vulnerability and Capacity: Federal Initiatives Focused on Children and Youth Across the Disaster Lifecycle

Abstract

Over the past decade, a number of U.S. federal agencies have not only recognized children as a potentially vulnerable group in disaster but also made strides in involving children in hazards mitigation and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. This chapter provides an inventory of government efforts (such as guidance documents and initiatives) that recognize children’s vulnerability to negative physical, psychological, and educational impacts of disaster, while also acknowledging their capacity to meaningfully contribute across the disaster lifecycle. The chapter concludes with a discussion of commonalities and points of divergence when it comes to government responses to children’s vulnerability and capacity in disaster contexts.