This is an article by Emily Heard, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, May 21, 2025.
Without adequate support and resources, disasters can leave lasting psychological effects on children. In the United States, an estimated 14% of children experience a natural disaster during childhood.
Learn how to help children cope with these challenges by providing psychosocial support.
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Emily Heard
Emily Heard, MPH, is an emergency management specialist with Perses Consulting LLC where she supports emergency planning, training/exercise, and response efforts across the country. With a background in child trauma/resilience research, Emily has worked with children in Tennessee; Washington, D.C.; and Denmark. Through the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and in collaboration with Save the Children USA, she has supported research on psychosocial support systems and child welfare in rural America during the disaster life cycle. She is a member of the International Association of Emergency Managers’ Child & Disaster Caucus. (The views expressed in this article are her own and do not reflect the official stance of any previously mentioned organizations.)
