1. Statewide Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning for Child Care
Merideth Bastiani, Child Care Subsidy Program Manager
Division of Child Care Services

2. Preview New York State Overview Developing Capacity for Preparedness
Testing New York’s Capabilities
Leveraging What Worked and Moving Forward

3. New York State: An Overview

4. New York State Over 47,000 square miles 62 Counties
Population of 19,673,174

5. Children in New York State
Children under 5 years of age – 1,176,432
Children under 10 years of age – 2,326,678
Children under 15 years of age – 3,506,401
Child Care for Children 0-12
19,414 regulated providers with the capacity to serve 761,947 children
In FFY 2016, 191,928 children received child care subsidies

6. Developing Capacity for Preparedness

7. DCCS Emergency Preparedness Timeline
2004:
OCFS assembled a committee to look at emergency preparedness
2014: Statewide Child Care Disaster Plan Finalized
2015:
OCFS began using CIRIS for GIS
2008: Revisions of Business Continuity Plans
2010: Updates to Emergency Plan Documents
2017:
Ongoing review and revision
2007:
Began participating in statewide exercises related to nuclear power plants in NYS
2008:
GIS capabilities released to all OCFS employees
2014: Implemented Emergency Planning and Preparedness Regulations for Family Based Programs
2015: Implemented Emergency Planning and Preparedness Regulations for Center and School Age Programs
2016: Updates to Emergency Plan Documents

8. Evaluating Needs and Building Partnerships
Committee formed in 2004 to evaluate needs and make recommendations on:
What to plan for
How to engage with the emergency management community
What resources we needed
What capabilities we had

9. Becoming Involved on a Statewide Level
In 2007 OCFS was called on to support community recovery following severe flooding
Later that year, OCFS accepted the invitation to participate in radiological preparedness drills
This helped OCFS focus on:
Evaluating the agency capacity to respond
Building partnerships
Training needs for child care programs
Evaluating the regulatory requirements   

10. Leveraging Data: GIS
In 2005 OCFS began geocoding program site addresses
In 2008, OCFS made GIS accessible to all employees
OCFS shares geocoded information with CIRIS (a statewide critical infrastructure clearinghouse) and other government agencies
Until 2015 OCFS maintained a stand alone GIS, recent enhancements have allowed OCFS to utilize CIRIS

11. NYS OCFS – GIS and Emergency Response
Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee
During emergency situations, GIS allows OCFS to accurately identify critical programs and populations
Plane Crash
(Clarence, NY)
Superstorm Sandy
Active Shooter
(Binghamton, NY)
Building explosion (East Harlem, NY)

12. Initiating Change
In 2010 OCFS updated the emergency plan form to get child care programs to include additional components in the plan which included:
Identifying safe meeting areas
Including multiple relocation sites in the plan
Shelter in Place
Identifying local and regional hazards
Meeting the physical and emotional needs of children
Accountability of children and staff

13. Testing New York’s Capabilities
2011- Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee Superstorm Sandy

14. Superstorm Sandy – Landfill Projections

15. Superstorm Sandy –
Risk Assessment and Needs Assessment

16. Communication in the Aftermath
Critical Component of Response and Recovery which occurred on multiple levels and included
Providers
Agency staff
State and County level
Stakeholder groups
Federal oversight and other federal partners
A continuous process that changed based on the situation and needs

17. NY Children’s Issues Task Force
An Emergent Strategy:
NY Children’s Issues Task Force
Identify and solve emergency needs
Ongoing collaboration
Resource sharing
Networking across systems
Open to all stakeholders

18. Maintaining Continuity of Subsidy
New York leveraged the flexibility allowed by CCDF statute and rules to continue providing child care services despite disruptions to families and providers
Gave disaster-declared counties the option to expand child care services to families affected by the storm by allowing them to:
Extend the eligibility period for services
Expand the definition of a child needing protective services
Expand the amount of time a county can pay for child care for families seeking employment
Expand the number of allowable absences
Expand the number of program closures

19. Communication and Resources Supporting Critical Workers
Early Childhood Programs and Recovery
Recovery
Communication and Resources
Basic Family Needs
Supporting Critical Workers

20. Leveraging What Worked and Moving Forward

21. Strengthened Child Care Regulations
In 2014, OCFS implemented Emergency Planning and Preparedness Regulations for Family Based Programs
In 2015, OCFS implemented Emergency Planning and Preparedness Regulations for Center and School Age Programs

22. Added Training Options
OCFS developed an e-Learning course for child care providers
Online videos on how to handle and prepare for various emergency scenario topics
Added training on sheltering in place

23. Use of Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) Supplemental Funds
Sandy SSBG funds awarded to support six mental health services contracts which were funded from June 2014 – June 2017 at a cost of approximately $7.2 Million
Goal: To promote the social and emotional well-being of young children and their caregivers who may have experienced trauma from Superstorm Sandy
Provided Mental Health Consultation Services

24. Statewide Child Care Disaster Plan
In 2014 OCFS finalized the statewide child care disaster plan and included the following items which were developed for use in response to Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee and Superstorm Sandy in to the plan:
Program Assessment Tool Local District Fact Sheet
Local District Fact Sheet
Provider Fact Sheet
District Request for waiver

25. Program Assessment Tool
OCFS Developed and has since refined an assessment tool to provide guidance for how programs could continue to operate. The focus was on providing the safest possible environment.
How will You meet the needs of the children?
Are there 2 means of egress?
How will children be kept safe?

26. Update The Emergency Plan Forms
Chain of command and responsibility
Communication
Of the emergency
With parents
With external contacts
Emergency kits/ supplies
Evacuation plans
Sheltering in place
Meeting the needs of children

27. Reflections from the New York Journey
Preparedness planning is a continuous process
You will not be ready for everything
Sometimes you have more capacity that than you realize
Formalize the things that work
Regularly re-evaluate and strategize
Mitigation
Preparedness
Response
Recovery

28. New York State Contact Information
Child Care Administrator: Janice M. Molnar, Ph.D.
New York State Office of Children and Family Services
Child Care Subsidy Program Manager: Merideth Bastiani