PROTECTING
MOMS + BABIES
IN EMERGENCIES
From juice spills to hurricanes, moms and caregivers are on the front lines of every emergency.
Use our tips to help keep your loved ones safe.
Purpose of this Toolkit
As disasters become more frequent and severe, it’s important for caretakers to take practical steps to prepare before emergencies happen.
Pregnant people, women, and infants have unique needs that are often overlooked in emergency planning.
Founded when Americans sent CARE PACKAGE® parcels to families in war-torn Europe, CARE has responded to every major disaster for 80 years. We support locally led solutions that help women and families respond to immediate needs and prepare for future emergencies.
When women have access to the right resources and support networks, families recover faster, and entire communities are stronger.
Emergency Preparedness
Disaster-Specific Tips
Research and Learning
CARE Practitioner Survey and Landscape Analysis
The U.S. faces two growing challenges: worsening maternal and infant health outcomes and more frequent, severe disasters. Yet the needs of pregnant, postpartum, and infant populations are often overlooked in disaster planning and response.
To better understand these challenges, CARE, who uniquely brings both humanitarian response and maternal health expertise, surveyed and convened maternal and child health organizations and emergency response organizations and partnered with Emory Rollins School of Public Health to conduct a comprehensive landscape analysis of disaster preparedness resources and practices across states.
"From coast to coast, it's clear that disasters are having a significant impact on moms and young families in our nation. Regardless [if] its hurricanes, heat, blizzards, floods, earthquakes, or wildfires, pregnant, postpartum, and parents with young children need to be included in all phases of disaster management. As a mom of 4 living below sea level in New Orleans, I want to shout this from the rooftops. We need to make friends across lines and landscapes to protect families to sustain our communities and continue to birth hope for the next generation."
About CARE and Our Approach
CARE helps women and families prepare for disasters, respond during emergencies, and recover afterward. CARE improves women and families’ safety, health, and economic opportunity across the United States by working through trusted, local partners.
Our disaster work focuses on:
- Prepare families and communities with practical training and resources.
- Respond to urgent needs during emergencies.
- Support long-term recovery.
- Fill critical gaps for communities without access to services and support.
Since 2019, CARE has reached more than 300,000 families across 11 states and Puerto Rico, delivering support before, during, and after crises, including during COVID-19 and major hurricanes.
Our Partners
CARE works alongside trusted partners to help families prepare for emergencies and recover afterward. Many thanks to our amazing partners keeping moms and babies safe!
March of Dimes
For 87 years, March of Dimes has championed maternal and infant health through advocacy, research, and education. Through its expansive Mom and Baby Action Network (MBAN), made of local aligned programs and stakeholders across the country, it addresses systemic maternal health inequities. Through the “Protecting Moms and Babies in Emergencies” Initiative, March of Dimes is partnering with CARE as a technical advisor and communications partner to help ensure critical resources can reach moms and those who serve them before and after disasters strike.
Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health
Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health is a leading public health institution with deep expertise in maternal and child health and public health preparedness. Its Maternal and Child Health Center of Excellence focuses on strengthening MCH workforce and improving health outcomes for mothers, infants, children, and families through research, education, and practice. The Rollins School and CARE have partnered to advance research and learning around protecting moms and babies in disasters, identifying practical opportunities to better integrate their unique needs into emergency planning and strengthen continuity of maternal and infant care.
If you are interested in learning more about our work supporting moms and babies in emergencies, email usa.emergency@care.org
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