Instructions for Identifying and
Protecting Displaced Children
Rapid identification and protection of displaced children
(less than 18 years) is imperative in order to reduce the potential for
maltreatment, neglect, exploitation, and emotional injury. A critical aspect
of pediatric disaster response is effectively addressing the needs of children
who have been displaced from their families and legal guardians. The separation
of children from significant others is a recognized factor influencing the
psychological responses of children after a disaster.
Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing floods and chaos have
caused over 3,000 children to be displaced throughout the United States. These
children may be unaccompanied or accompanied by adults who are not their legal
guardians. All medical clinics and shelters providing care to child survivors
of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina should immediately implement
appropriate child-safety measures in direct response to this crisis.
Initiatives such as “Operation Child ID” implemented in Camp Gruber Oklahoma
have provided a rapid, systematic protocol for successfully identifying and
protecting displaced children. CDC has reviewed this protocol and considers it
to be a useful resource to share with its partners to promote a safer and
healthier environment for displaced children in shelters:
Protocol to Rapidly Identify and Protect Displaced Children
· Survey all children in your shelter
to identify children who are not with their legal guardians – these children
have a high probability of being listed as missing by family members; find out
where they are sleeping in the shelter; and the name and age of the person who
is supervising them. A survey for identifying displaced child evacuees is
available online at http://www.health.ok.gov/bt/.
· Place a hospital-style
identification bracelet (or a picture identification card, ideally) on the
child and a matching one on the supervising adult(s). Check frequently to make
sure that the wrist band matches that of the adult(s) seen with the child in the
shelter.
· The names of all children identified
through the survey as not being with their legal guardians should be considered
at high-risk and immediately reported to the National Center of Missing and
Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-888-544-5475. The NCMEC can then cross-check
them with the names of children who have been reported missing.
· After the “high risk” children have
been reported, a complete list of children’s names in the clinic or shelter
should be sent to the NCMEC in case adults and/or children have provided
incorrect information about their relationship and status.
· Children who are not with their
legal guardians (i.e., prior to the hurricane) should undergo a safety and
well-being assessment (taking into consideration an assessment of the
relationship between the child and accompanying adult), ideally performed by a
physician with pediatric experience.
· If NCMEC informs you that the child
has been reported as missing, locate the child and facilitate reunification of
the child and his/her legal guardian.
________________________________
The
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) 2005 http://www.missingkids.com/ NCMEC
records children who are less than 21 years of age who have been reported
missing or displaced
2 The medical care at
Camp Gruber is being provided through a partnership between the Oklahoma State
Department of Health (OSDH) and the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
For additional information on this protocol please contact
Dr. Mark Brandenburg Associate Professor, Director,
Section of Emergency Medicine/Department of Internal
Medicine
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine-Tulsa
4502 East 41st St.
Tulsa, OK 74135-2512
Email: Mark-Brandenburg@ouhsc.edu
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contacts: Wendy
Heaps email: Wah9@cdc.gov or Teri Barber
email: TBB8@cdc.gov
