An ad hoc committee will organize a public workshop that will examine public health and medical preparedness related to children and families including children with special needs. The committee will develop the workshop agenda, select and invite speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions. Specifically, the topics to be addressed at the workshop will include the following:
- How state and local health department emergency planning should integrate the needs of children and families.
- How child care systems should incorporate emergency planning into day-to-day operations, and how they can partner with state and local health departments.
- How public health can assist with child separation/family reunification through pre-event health education development.
- Opportunities to integrate the needs of children and families in public health readiness at the state and local level.
- What community partners would be critical for covering as many children as possible (age, ethnicity, disability status, etc.) during an emergency.
- How state and local health departments should connect with these community partners for the purposes of emergency preparedness and response.
An individually authored workshop summary will be prepared by a designated rapporteur based on the information gathered and the discussions held during the workshop.