Family resilience can help protect children from climate change
As climate change brings more extreme weather events, strengthening families before disasters strike can help protect children's health and well-being, says Mary McKay, a professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and an expert on child mental health.
Climate change can lead to severe weather, drought, heat and other extreme conditions that disrupt families and communities, potentially harming children's mental health and well-being. Mary McKay, a professor of child mental health at Washington University in St. Louis, emphasizes that strengthening families before disasters strike is crucial to mitigating these impacts.
Children rely on adults, schools and communities for stability and emotional support, so when climate-related disruptions occur, they can be affected across multiple systems. To protect children, families should prepare by discussing potential scenarios, creating contingency plans and having resources on hand to cushion the blow.
Policies and leaders can support this by providing emergency assistance, quickly restoring essential services like schools, and helping caregivers maintain routines for children. Investment in advance preparation, especially for families with fewer resources, is critical to building resilience and safeguarding children's physical and emotional well-being in the face of climate change.
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