Many of the nation鈥檚 schools and day-care centers are ill-prepared to handle emergencies arising from natural and man-made disasters, according to that analyzes licensing requirements throughout the country.
Eighteen states do not require K-12 schools to have written emergency-preparedness plans in place, the report says. Just nine states require child-care facilities to have evacuation plans.
鈥淢ost states have not taken the necessary steps to ensure that thousands of child-care facilities are prepared to respond to the needs of children in the event of emergencies such as tornadoes, earthquakes, or industrial accidents, which can strike during school hours,鈥� the report states. 鈥淢any states are falling short when it comes to protecting children in times of disaster.鈥�
Save the Children, a Westport, Conn.-based organization that commissioned the report, is asking states to review and improve their procedures and policies for how day-care centers and schools plan for emergencies.
The organization plans to issue a report card next year to show each states鈥� progress toward implementing such measures.
