Family Reunification Following Disasters A Planning Tool for Health Care Facilities

This planning tool was created to assist hospitals with their plans to provide information, support services, and safe reunification assistance to family members of patients who have experienced disasters. It provides potential solutions to reunification-related challenges, including: planning for the secure reception, tracking, and care of large numbers of children who may present to a hospital following a mass-casualty event; identifying injured and unaccompanied children in a disaster; tracking unaccompanied children during their hospital stay; and what legal authority a hospital has to administer care to minors when the parent/guardian is unavailable to participate in the informed consent process.