Disaster evacuation centres: kids & teens

Going to an evacuation centre during a natural disaster

If there’s a natural disaster, you might get an evacuation alert from your local emergency service. This means you need to leave immediately to keep your family safe.

Your natural disaster preparation should include a plan for an evacuation destination. This might be a friend or family member’s house or an evacuation centre.

Evacuation centres give people shelter in safe locations away from natural disasters. But evacuation centres can be busy, chaotic and unfamiliar. If you and your child need to go to an evacuation centre, the tips below can help you look after your child’s health, safety and wellbeing while you’re there.

The evacuation centre might not have all the items you need to care for your child, so it’s a good idea to have an emergency bag packed and ready to take with you.

Health and hygiene for children and teenagers at evacuation centres

Evacuation centres can be crowded, which makes it easy for germs to spread. So it’s important to maintain good hygiene. This can help your child and family to stay healthy.

These tips can help you maintain hygiene:

Make sure your child washes their hands often, particularly before eating and after using the toilet. Use hand sanitiser if soap and water aren’t available.
Wipe down shared surfaces that your child uses, like tables and toys.
If your child wears nappies, use a clean area for nappy changes.
Use only bottled water to prepare formula.
Find a clean area to prepare bottles of formula and clean bottles or other baby items. Don’t do this in evacuation centre toilets.
Clean bottle-feeding equipment with hot water. If you can’t clean your equipment in hot water, don’t use it. Feed your baby using disposable cups instead.

These tips can help your child stay healthy and avoid illness:

When you arrive, find out where the nearest medical services are.
Try to keep your child away from crowded areas and people who look unwell.
If your child takes medicines, make sure these are stored properly. Give them to your child on time.
If your child has signs of illness like fever, cough, diarrhoea or tiredness, tell shelter staff and get medical attention.

Some breastfed babies get unsettled and don’t breastfeed well in evacuation centres. This is natural. Go to Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) – Emergency resources for babies and toddlers for more information about caring for your breastfed baby. You can also phone the National Breastfeeding Helpline on 1800 686 268.

Food safety for children and teenagers at evacuation centres

In evacuation centres, it’s important to make sure your child eats safe food. This can help your child avoid food poisoning.

Try these tips:

Tell shelter staff if your child has food allergies.
Give your child food that you’ve packed before accepting food from other people.
Ask about ingredients before accepting meals from others.
Check the use-by date on prepackaged food before giving it to your child.

Emotional support for children and teenagers at evacuation centres

Evacuation centres can be unsettling and stressful places. So it’s important to help your child feel safe, secure and comfortable.

Here are ideas:

Always stay with your child if you can, or make sure they’re with someone they know and feel safe with.
Talk with your child about the situation calmly, give your child the opportunity to talk about their feelings, and comfort your child.
Try to protect your child from media coverage and conversations that might be confusing or distressing for them. If your child sees distressing media coverage, talk to them about the situation and reassure them.
Offer familiar items, like a favourite toy or blanket.
Keep your child busy with play if you can. Your child might want to do activities like playing card or board games, reading stories, and drawing.

You might not be able to shield your child completely from news about the natural disaster. But talking can help your child understand and cope with it. You can read more in our articles on disaster news and children 2-5 years, disaster news and children 6-11 years, and disaster news and teenagers.

Activities for children and teenagers at evacuation centres

Your child might feel confused, stressed or overwhelmed at an evacuation centre.

If your child keeps busy with activities, it can help them manage strong feelings, calm down and relax.

Here’s a list of activities that might be good for your child’s emotional wellbeing at an evacuation centre. These activities don’t require much space or many materials:

Personal safety for children and teenagers at evacuation centres

Evacuation centres can be busy and unfamiliar places, so it’s important to make sure your child doesn’t get separated from you or lost.

These precautions can help:

Don’t leave your child unsupervised, even in areas that seem safe.
Have clear rules about where your child can go and who they can interact with.
Get your child to wear a wristband that lists their name, your contact information and any critical medical information.

Looking after yourself at evacuation centres

Although you’ll be focused on looking after your child at the evacuation centre, it’s also important to look after your own health and wellbeing and get support for yourself too. If you’re well, you’ll be better able to care for your child.

And if you’re pregnant or caring for a young child or a child with a medical condition, it’s a good idea to let the medical staff at the evacuation centre know. The staff can help you get the support that you and your child need.

If you need to evacuate during a natural disaster, it’s often best to go to a friend’s or family member’s house if you can. You'll be more comfortable and better able to care for your child there.