Out & About in Our World: On America's Response to the #Coronavirus

Coronavirus Pandemic: Whole-of-America Response

Greetings Partners,

Although our previous emails have concentrated primarily on the worship spaces, we recognize that many of you are also affiliated with religious or parochial schools. As the conventional school year winds down, there are questions about summer school and how schools may look and operate come the new school year this fall. The links below contain helpful information and resources for schools and school personnel:

• U.S. Dept. of Education - https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus
• Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives within the Department of Education - https://sites.ed.gov/cfoi/
• REMS TA (Readiness & Emergency Management for Schools) - https://rems.ed.gov/Resources_Hazards_Threats_Biological_Hazards.aspx#/
• CDC Childcare, Schools, and Youth Programs - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/index.html
• USDA COVID-19 with particular reference to Child Nutrition Programs- https://www.fns.usda.gov/disaster/pandemic/covid-19

 Training Courses:

• IS-362.A: Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools - This course covers basic information about developing, implementing, and maintaining a school emergency operations plan (EOP). The goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the importance of schools having an EOP and basic information on how an EOP is developed, exercised, and maintained.
• IS-363: Introduction to Emergency Management for Higher Education - The goal of this course is to provide Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) with knowledge and planning strategies to protect lives, property, and the environment by supporting operations more effectively within the context of comprehensive emergency management.
• IS-366.A: Planning for the Needs of Children in Disasters - The purpose of this course is to provide guidance for Emergency Managers and implementers of children’s programs about meeting the unique needs that arise among children as a result of a disaster or emergency.

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, five territories, and numerous tribes are working directly with FEMA under the nationwide emergency declaration for COVID-19. Under this emergency declaration certain private non-profit (PNP) organizations are eligible to apply for reimbursements through FEMA’s Public Assistance program for eligible emergency work necessary to save lives or protect public health and safety . The most common example of eligible work we have seen under this program regards disinfecting, sanitizing facilities and supplies or contracting to do the work. The work should be consistent with current public health guidance as it relates to disinfection recommendations.

• Public Assistance Disaster-Specific Guidance - COVID-19 Declarations: https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/187108
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Public Assistance Simplified Application - https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2020/03/23/coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-public-assistance-simplified-application
• COVID-19 Fact Sheet: Private Nonprofit Organizations - https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1587382874310-f9def17e6317d54da7db7f1fd3081559/COVID-19PrivateNonprofitOrganizationsFactSheet(04.01.20).pdf

The Department of Homeland Security is not the lead agency for education, but we believe it to be important and want to make sure these resources made it out to you. We encourage you to contact your local state departments of education for guidance particular to your area or the Department of Education Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives for broad enquiries relating to religious and parochial schools. They can be reached at edpartners@ed.gov.

Yours,

DHS Center for Faith & Opportunity Initiatives

partnerships@fema.dhs.gov

Federal Emergency Management Agency

fema.gov/faith