In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi State University (MSU) Early Childhood Institute has taken a series of steps to promote greater disaster preparedness for the early childhood sector. These steps have included sponsoring and participating in interstate meetings of early childhood leaders, helping develop new professional development materials on disaster preparedness, and conducting innovative research on disaster risk factors for the sector.

During Fiscal Year 2008, the institute’s Early Childhood Atlas team piloted an innovative analysis of early childhood services data to identify early childhood sectors, at the county level in 11 states, with the greatest disaster risks. Its report of that analysis, the Early Childhood Disaster Risk Index, is available at www.earlychildhood.msstate.edu/reports.htm.

Elizabeth F. Shores, M.A.P.H., Cathy Grace, Ed.D., and their colleagues on the atlas team had a scholarly article based on spatial analysis accepted by the international Journal of Emergency Management during Fiscal Year 2008.

Elizabeth F. Shores, M.A.P.H., coordinates the Early Childhood Emergency Preparedness Initiative.

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