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Disaster and Emergency Preparedness and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Child Care Programs in Michigan: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2023

Elizabeth M. Budnik ,
Andrew N. Hashikawa Open the ORCID record for Andrew N. Hashikawa [Opens in a new window] ,
Allison Cator ,
Stuart Bradin  and
Courtney W. Mangus
Elizabeth M. Budnik*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Children’s Emergency Services, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Andrew N. Hashikawa
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Children’s Emergency Services, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Department of Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Allison Cator
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Children’s Emergency Services, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Department of Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Stuart Bradin
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Children’s Emergency Services, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Department of Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Courtney W. Mangus
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Children’s Emergency Services, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Department of Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
*
Corresponding author: Elizabeth M. Budnik, Email: ebudnik@med.umich.edu.
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Abstract

Background:

Historically, the child care industry has been unprepared for emergencies. A previous study identified gaps in Michigan’s child care programs’ emergency plans. Study objectives were to reassess programs’ preparedness plans after introduction of state-mandated emergency plans and to examine the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on programs’ operations.

Methods:

A 29-question survey was sent to ∼500 child care programs across Michigan in 2020 to assess emergency plans and response to COVID-19. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative methods.

Results:

A total of 346 programs (70%) responded. Most (92%) reported having a written plan, but one-third reported having no infectious outbreak plan pre-pandemic. One-third of programs lacked plans for special needs children (vs 40% in 2014); 62% lacked plans for child reunification (vs 60% in 2014); 46% reported staff received no preparedness training. COVID-19 impacted programs substantially: 59% closed, 20% decreased capacity, 27% changed disinfecting protocols. Several themes related to the pandemic’s effect on programs were identified: (1) changes in learning, (2) changes in socialization, (3) increased family burden, (4) financial challenges, (5) lack of guidance.

Conclusions:

Significant preparedness gaps remain among Michigan’s child care programs, suggesting the need for increased support and addition of emergency preparedness to programs’ quality ratings.

Keywords

emergency preparednesschild careCOVID-19
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 17 , 2023 , e377
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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