Helping Families Recover:
Helping Children Deal with Disaster

In times of tragic events, parents, caregivers and teachers may struggle with ways to help their children understand and cope. Below are some resources available on the Internet that may be useful. Sites include resources from Maryland Cooperative Extension, other university Extension programs, nonprofit agencies, organizations and associations, and health and mental health agencies. Some sites include a variety of links and publications; others feature a single article.

Maryland Cooperative Extension

• Bouncing Back When the Ground is Hard or Staying Afloat When the Floods Come
  Bonnie Braun, Ph.D., Family Life Specialist

• When Disaster Hits: A Few Tips to Help Children Understand
  Susan Walker, Ph.D., Family Life Specialist

• Managing Family Resources

• Maryland Cooperative Extension publications catalogue

University Cooperative Extension resources and publications

• University of Illinois
  Children, Stress, and Natural Disasters: A Guide for Teachers

• Supporting Children (Kansas State University)
  http://www.ksu.edu/wwparent/child_stress.htm
  contains a variety of resources and links to other sources of information on helping children

• University of Minnesota
  Family Communication in Times of Stress, Ron Pitzer, Univ of MN

• North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension
  Recognizing Stress in Children
  http://www.preparerespondrecover.com/childrensneeds/

  Can't find what you're looking for?

  Try e-answers online. This site provides provides reliable, research-based information on a wide range of Extension or Outreach-oriented subjects. From this source you can access the knowledge of Land Grant universities around the nation of Extension. One recent search on children and war located 283 listings on such topics as "Talking to Your Kids to War: Advice for Concerned Parents (North Dakota), "Children, War Toys and Violent Games", "Children and Fear", etc.

  • http://www.e-answersonline.org/

  Try CYFERnet. CYFERnet is a USDA electronic resource database with materials related to the well-being of children, youth, families and their communities.

  • http://www.cyfernet.org

  Agencies, Foundations and Organizations

  • Connect for Kids (Benton foundation)
    http://www.connectforkids.org/usr_doc/CopingWithGrief.htm

  • The Parent Center
    How to Talk with Your Child About Disaster (2-4 years old)

    How to Talk with Your Child About Disaster (5-8 years old)

    (Note this site provides a variety of helpful articles about preparing your children and the family for a natural disaster. Check under "Health")

  • Helping Children Cope with Violence and Trauma
    look here for a variety of links to other organizations that have resources on the Internet, including the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers. Posted by the University of Maine.

  Health and Mental Health Agencies and Organizations

  • American Academy of Pediatrics
    www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/disastercomm.htm

  • American Psychological Association
    http://helping.apa.org/therapy/traumaticstress.html#children

  • American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
    http://www.aacap.org/
    Helping Children and Adolescents After a Disaster

  • School Mental Health Project/Center for Mental Health in Schools
    UCLA Dept. of Psychology
    "Crisis Prevention and Response."

  • Coping with Emotions after a Disaster
    http://www.psychworks.com/PTSD%20response.htm

  • After a Disaster: Steps You Can Take to Cope with a Stressful Situation
    http://www.wright.edu/sopp/cps/TraumaticStress.html

  • National Association of School Psychologists: Disaster: Helping Children Cope