ONLY 47% of hospitals have a disaster plan that includes pediatric patients

…and we’re working to fix that.

Dedicated to Improving Pediatric Disaster Preparedness and Response

Hurricanes and wildfires. Flash floods and blizzards. Pandemics, mass injury events, and human-made hazards. Healthcare professionals must equip communities for disasters before an event—and provide life-saving services in the aftermath. Yet fewer than half of all hospitals have a care plan for pediatric patients.

Pediatric Disaster Centers of Excellence (PDCOEs) train healthcare professionals, support families, and coordinate hospitals and caregivers at local, state, and regional levels. Our expertise spans the disaster cycle—mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery—in areas affecting millions of children.

Together, we're establishing a network to educate and assist during crises, whether you're a healthcare professional seeking to make an impact, or a parent protecting your family.

We're here. We're ready.

Our Mission

Find your Pediatric Disaster Center

Gulf 7 Pediatric Disaster Network

Nearly 18 million people in the six Gulf States and Puerto Rico are under eighteen years old. The Gulf 7 Pediatric Disaster Network (G7) is committed to ensuring that every family in our region can access medical care for kids during a disaster, regardless of their ability to pay.

Our network of seven children’s hospitals and universities provides comprehensive care and training to address gaps in the disaster cycle spectrum of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Region V for Kids

Region V for Kids improves pediatric clinical care and emergency response coordination at the local, state, and regional levels. Led by University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's, the consortium includes eight other children's hospitals across six states. We collaborate with local, state, tribal, and national organizations to address care gaps for nearly 12 million children throughout the disaster cycle.

Region V for Kids specializes in Virtual Tabletop Exercises (VTTX). We created a pediatric-specific Hazard Vulnerability Analysis and Regional Metric Scorecard, as well as the Disaster Medicine for Graduate Medical Education, Family Reunification, and Pediatric Dashboard programs. Our Be Ready: Tips for Families of Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs program offers resources to help families prepare for disaster.

Western Regional Alliance for Emergency Pediatric Management

The WRAP-EM mission elevates highly specialized disaster care for all children – not just in the western region, but everywhere. We develop disaster planning and response capabilities, focusing on matching resources to needs to ensure the best possible outcomes for pediatric patients.

WRAP-EM addresses disasters caused by natural hazards or human-caused catastrophes – chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) events, mass-casualty incidents (MCI), etc. – that can trigger a pediatric surge.