e-CYREN Blog

Calling on President to develop national strategy on children and disasters The 2010 Report to the President and Congress issued last week by the National Commission on Children and Disasters cited “persistent gaps in disaster preparedness for children since Hurricane Katrina five years ago.” The Commission’s report called for the development of a national strategy for children in disasters to ensure children are protected before, during and after an emergency.” The report comes on the heels of another new report, America Remains Unprepared, from Save the Children that showed states along the East Coast in the path of a potential hurricane are not fully prepared to protect children during major and possibly catastrophic disasters. The report reveals that millions of children are vulnerable should a disaster strike the region. “Children are 25 percent of our nation’s population but they are neglected when it comes to disaster management,” said Mark Shriver,...

Choking is a very common cause of unintentional injury or death in children under age one, and the danger remains significant until the age of five. Objects such as safety pins, small parts from toys, and coins cause choking, but food is responsible for most incidents. You must be particularly watchful when children around the age of one are sampling new foods. Here are some additional suggestions for preventing choking. Don’t give young children hard, smooth foods (i.e., peanuts, raw vegetables) that must be chewed with a grinding motion. Children don’t master that kind of chewing until age four, so they may attempt to swallow the food whole. Do not give peanuts to children until age seven or older. Don’t give your child round, firm foods (like hot dogs and carrot sticks) unless they are chopped completely. Cut or break food into bite-size pieces (no larger than ½ inch [1.27 cm]) and encourage your child to chew thoroughly. Supervise mealtime for your infant or young child. Don’t let her eat...

Are you a caregiver for a parent or an elderly adult? If so, have you discussed with other family members, and caregivers where you and/or your parent would go in case of an emergency when home is not the option? There is no time like the present and with Thanksgiving around the corner, I can't think of a better time to have this discussion. During this season family members will come together to laugh and share great family stories with one another. One may think that discussing an emergency during this happy time could put a damper on this festive occasion. But, this may be a good time to prepare now for peace of mind in the future. Whether you are a caregiver for an elderly family member with chronic diseases or you know of a healthy senior living alone, families, friends and caregivers should take the time...

In support of National Preparedness Month, CYJ Enterprises presented "Beyond the Fire Drill" Emergency Preparedness Workshops to over 20 day care centers during the month of September. Family Day Care and Day Care Directors and staff met to discuss and review emergency management.

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The American Red Cross, City of Detroit Homeland Security and Citizen Corp reviewed how to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from crisis situations. As a demonstration of how food is prepared in Red Cross shelters, Glen Hendricks, with the Red Cross prepared a hot blueberry pancakes and bacon breakfast without the use of fire. At the Child Care Coordinating Council of Detroit/Wayne County, Carole Y. Johnson and Harold T Jones conducted...

September is Emergency Preparedness Month and to promote Emergency Preparedness for child care providers, a free "Beyond the Fire Drill" workshop will be held on September 12, from 10:00 to 2:00 pm. Presenters from the Office of Detroit Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Detroit Citizens Corp will address questions that require planning and practicing beyond the fire drill, such as: What if you had to evacuate your children and staff and could not return to your school or center? What if you had to Shelter in Place for several hours? For more information go to www.ecyren.com EVENT Information Date: September 12, 2009 Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Location: Tech Town, 440 Burroughs St., Detroit, MI 48202 Refreshments will be served Register Online: Click here to register on line...

Save the Children's U.S. Programs Finds Only Seven States Prepared to Protect Children; Five-point Plan is Unveiled

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 17, 2009) — Ten years after a relentless assault of unprecedented natural and manmade disasters, a report released today by Save the Children's U.S. Programs reveals that only seven states are meeting crucial minimum standards to ensure that schools and child-care facilities are prepared to respond to the needs of children during a disaster. The report, "The Disaster Decade: Lessons Unlearned for the United States," was released at a D.C.-area child-care center by Mark Shriver, Save the Children U.S. Programs Managing Director, along with actor and advocate Julianne Moore, Artist Ambassador.

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