With winter right around the corner and temperatures dropping fast, this is the perfect time to prepare for a possible winter emergency. Many people love the idea of a few inches of fluffy snow falling from the sky, but all too quickly, that few inches can morph into the winter storm of the year. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to ensure that you and your loved ones will be ready for and safe if severe weather strikes.

An alarm rings…lights flash…you regularly practice fire drills, so you know this is the fire alarm. You need to evacuate, but what do you take with you?  Where is the closest exit?  What happens if the closest exit is blocked?  How can you evacuate yourself and your roomful of toddlers quickly and easily?

As the end of the year nears, CCAoA’s Emergency Preparedness Team has been reflecting on the disasters that struck in 2017. Top-of-mind, of course, are the hurricanes—Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Our team worked directly with CCR&Rs affected by the storms and the providers they serve. This is the second of three blogs on lessons learned and our team’s advice for CCR&Rs about the critical things they need to do before, during, and after a disaster. Here's what you can do before a disaster.

The 32^nd annual National Child Nutrition Conference is scheduled for April 19-21, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. Hosted by the National CACFP Sponsors Association, this conference brings together professionals in the child nutrition community for three days of learning and networking. Over 1,000 participants from nutrition, nonprofit, education, and child care organizations in all 50 states are expected to attend this year. In addition to expert panels and networking sessions, attendees can choose from more than 100 workshops to learn practical skills, discover new resources, and explore their interests. To help ensure that everyone who is interested and invested can attend, the National Child Nutrition Foundation has over $20,000 in scholarships available.

Health services across the world are preparing for the worst flu season in history amid fears that the vaccines used to stop the influenza virus will not be as effective this year. Fortunately, there is a simple way to prevent the spread of disease and infection to keep you and the people around you safe from catching a virus by washing your hands properly.

As the end of the year nears, CCAoA’s Emergency Preparedness Team has been reflecting on the disasters that struck in 2017. Top-of-mind, of course, are the hurricanes—Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Our team worked directly with CCR&Rs affected by the storms and the providers they serve. This is the first of three blogs on lessons learned and our team’s advice for CCR&Rs about the critical things they need to do before, during, and after a disaster.

For your CCR&R to be prepared for an emergency, you need to take the following steps long before a disaster: