Public Health and Local Government Partners for Perinatal Disaster Preparedness

Strong collaboration with the public health sector and local government will contribute significantly to the success of any disaster preparedness plan or response. For example, the local WIC office and maternal and child health programs in the community can have strong connections already established with families and play a role in the dissemination of information and resources. Alignment with local government plans for disaster preparedness and response will support better outcomes for the perinatal population and the whole community.

Potential partners include:

• Local maternal-child health Programs (eg, Title V)
• Local and state departments of health*
• Local/county/state emergency management (eg, state/tribal FEMA resources)
• Health care coalitions
• WIC
• Early intervention programs
• Local government (eg, Mayor’s Office, board of supervisors, county commissioners)
• Public health laboratories (newborn screening)

Federal partners (eg, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

*There could be a variety of service areas in the health department that could be pertinent to disaster planning.