Better safe than sorry – Prepare for Hurricane Isaac

After Hurricane Katrina, child care programs were first responders to child care needs of children, families, and employers on the Coast. I remember it well:

• 94% of the child care centers in the three coastal counties remained standing after Katrina.

• 68% reported little or no damage.

• 69% reported little to no damage to supplies.

• 63% of the full-day centers operating before the storm were operating six weeks after the storm – 19 in the first week alone!

OCY provided what the centers needed – paying clients via the emergency child care certificates – with assistance from the Southern PDD (Hattiesburg) and Forum staff (on-site near the intersection of highway 49 and I-20) working from an RV and sleeping in it, too,until a trailer became available!

Now, as warnings of an “anniversary” hurricane fill the airwaves, I recommend that you take the following steps for a successful center re-opening in the event Isaac’s wind and water require you to close your center temporarily.

Protect your child care center:

• Take pictures of your building and grounds and pictures inside, too.
• Bring everything you can inside or put it in storage – and secure what you have to leave outside.
• Move bulk frozen foods inland to guard against “time and temperature” damage in the event of power outages or secure a back-up generator.
• Cover windows and doors with plywood.
• Store water.
• Restock first-aid kit.

Protect your records:

• Move any files boxes on the floor to a place not likely to get wet and secure in a plastic bag.
• Unplug your computer and, if you don’t take it with you, move it to a place where you feel it will be safe from wind and water.
• Take contact information for staff and parents home with you in a zip lock bag.
• Do the same with your insurance policy.

Protect your business:

Help prevent the spread of inaccurate information about the capacity of licensed child care centers.  Stay in touch with Delta Providers – leave comment on the blog; send an email to licensedprovider@aol.com; or text a message or call 662-458-8732.

Hopefully, Isaac will move on; but, “better safe than sorry”!