ABSTRACT
During a disaster occurrence, one of the most pressing concerns for many is the safety of children. When children are in the care of schools, their separation from families becomes an immediate focus during a disaster occurrence, particularly when school settings are involved in the disaster. The United States has approximately 17,000 public schools and 29,000 private schools (Murray et al. 2008). “There are 67 million children in American schools and child care facilities at any given point on a weekday, separate from their families and dependent on school ofœcials and caregivers to provide protection” (Save the Children 2010, 2). Given the increasing frequencies of disasters within the United States (Teasley and Moore 2010) and the high vulnerability of children and youth for problematic behavioral health outcomes, school planning and readiness for a disaster or emergency is of paramount national importance.
