Don’t Leave Me Alone: Protecting Children in Australian Disasters and Emergencies

This Report Card assesses how the needs of children are incorporated into local, state and national emergency management plans in Australia.

There is currently a lack of consistent emergency management planning for the unique needs of children in Australian emergency management plans. This has resulted in the needs of children not being considered in many instances until problems arise during the relief and recovery phases of the emergency, leaving children particularly vulnerable.

Several recommendations are provided in this report card. These are addressed to the governing bodies in charge of forming child protection strategies in emergencies. Some examples are:

• Specific planning for the unique needs of children should be incorporated as a matter of urgency into all emergency management plans at all levels of government.
• Emergency management planners should consider ways to engage with children to allow them to contribute to plan development and implementation.
• All risk assessments contained in emergency management plans should be reviewed with a child lens to ensure that risks and hazards are assess in relation to the unique vulnerabilities of children.