Schools and communities can help children bounce back after distressing disasters like the LA wildfires
The fires first erupted on Jan. 7, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades, a small enclave of Los Angeles, and in Eaton Canyon, where the tight-knit community of Altadena is nestled in the foothills just north of Pasadena. Fierce winds pushed the flames through neighborhoods, making this one of the top five most destructive wildfires in California history.
In the immediate aftermath of this disaster, much of the focus has been, rightfully, on lives lost, homes damaged or destroyed, and the ability to maintain livelihoods. But noticeably missing from most media coverage have been the consequences of the wildfires for children and discussion of the unique challenges they face surrounding disasters.
We are a disaster epidemiologist and a disaster planner at the University of Southern California with almost 40 years of experience between us. We have studied pandemics, tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes.
But when the destruction impacts your own community, it hits differently. Like many others, we were directly affected by the school closures and poor air quality in the Los Angeles area.
We both had friends and colleagues who suffered property damage in the fires, including Rita's best friend who lost her home in the Altadena fire. Our work, which focuses on disaster recovery and resilience in children, suddenly felt deeply personal.
We are currently studying the effect of wildfires on families and what factors help children recover faster and lead to more resilient lives.
School districts across the region closed their doors due to dangerous air quality and structural damage. This included the Los Angeles Unified School District, which is the second-largest in the nation, serving over 500,000 students. Some schools were destroyed, while others were left with hazardous conditions, including toxic ash from burned homes. Even when schools reopened, many parents and caregivers were worried about sending their children back into classrooms that might not be safe.
This disruption in education extends beyond a few lost school days. Research shows that prolonged school closures can significantly affect children's learning, mental health and sense of security. After major disasters, students often experience academic setbacks, increased anxiety, and emotional distress.
According to the Education Recovery Scorecard, as of spring 2024 the average U.S. student remained nearly half a grade level behind prepandemic achievement in math and reading, which points to the long-term impacts of school closures.
Rita's best friend who lost her home shared that when it came to her children, her immediate priority 'was getting them back into some type of normalcy.'
To her, this meant sending them back to school, but this wasn't possible right away. 'With the holidays and then the fires, my daughter was out of school for almost two months,' she said.
Her concerns about her children echo those of many parents in the wake of disasters.
After the 2020 Slater Fire in Happy Camp, California, a rural town about 25 miles south of the Oregon border, we conducted focus groups with children who had lost homes and schools.
Our study found that despite experiencing profound loss, many of the children expressed gratitude for their communities and an eagerness to rebuild. Their perspectives revealed both resilience and critical gaps in disaster response – gaps that we see unfolding in Los Angeles today.
One of the biggest lessons from the Slater Fire and other disasters is that children recover best when they are given a sense of stability and normalcy as quickly as possible. The faster children can return to a routine, the better their emotional and academic outcomes tend to be. Schools, child care facilities and structured activities all play a crucial role in this process.
To assist parents and caregivers in navigating difficult conversations after a natural disaster, substantial research has explored how to talk to kids about disasters.
For families navigating the emotional toll of this disaster, open conversations are key. Avoiding the topic in an attempt to protect children can make them more anxious. Instead, caregivers should create space for children to express their emotions and ask questions. Children's responses to trauma vary based on their age and experiences, but common reactions may include anxiety about future wildfires, trouble sleeping, and withdrawing from activities they once enjoyed.
Children may react differently, and it is important to be on the lookout for signs of stress. Younger children between ages 1 and 5 may become more irritable and may exhibit signs of developmental regression.
Older children between the ages of 14 and 18 may begin to show signs of depression or isolate themselves. They may also begin to act out or engage in risk-taking behaviors. Strategies that can help children process the experience include maintaining routines, keeping an open line of communication, encouraging creative outlets and modeling desired behaviors.
Tweens and teens may also find comfort in the shared experience with their friends. Rita's best friend shared that her 11-year-old daughter and 10 of her friends named their chat group '70% homeless,' a telling reflection of how they are processing the disaster together.
Organizations such as Project:Camp, a nonprofit that provides pop-up camps for children affected by disasters, have stepped in to offer immediate child care relief in Eagle Rock, California, about 8 miles from Altadena. These programs not only support children's mental health by offering structured, trauma-informed care in a fun environment, but they also give caregivers the time and space necessary to begin rebuilding their lives.
The services provided by these sorts of programs can serve as models that can be incorporated into the planning process for cities and counties. This allows more time for adults to focus on recovery needs while limiting the time that children must spend alone.
For families still struggling after the LA fires, we recommend talking to school counselors, seeking community support and contacting local disaster relief programs.
Rebuilding after a disaster is about more than just reconstructing homes and infrastructure. It's about restoring a sense of security for families, especially children.
If there is one thing our research has taught us, it is that children are incredibly resilient. But resilience is not built in isolation. Rather, it comes from strong support systems, thoughtful policies and communities that put their youngest members first in times of crisis. Prioritizing schools and child care centers in recovery plans helps to ensure that children can return to safe, supportive environments as soon as possible.
This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Rita V. Burke, University of Southern California and Santina Contreras, University of Southern California
Read more:
Kids and disasters: How to help them recover
Stressful times are an opportunity to teach children resilience
Building resilience early in life can help children cope with trauma
Rita V. Burke received funding from funding from the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder with the Support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Science Foundation for this work. She is also funded by the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. She is also Chair of the Board of Advisors for Project:Camp.
Santina Contreras receives funding from the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder with the Support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Science Foundation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
5 days ago
- NBC News
It's a real grind to meet matcha demand these days
Your midday matcha latte is getting more expensive and harder to come by as supply shortages and skyrocketing demand squeeze cafés. Matcha, the bright green powder swirled into drinks, ice cream and pastries, has soared in popularity over the last few years, fueled by social media and a post-pandemic tourism boom in Japan. But Japan's supply is drying up with record heat and a shortage of tea farmers, spiking prices that could rise even more with new 15% tariffs on Japanese imports into the United States. Tea experts say true matcha is only grown and produced in Japan. The shortage has made it harder for cafés to get matcha. 'Normally when we order our powder, it should take about one month to two months,' said Alfred Chan, manager and co-founder of Urban Matcha, a Las Vegas café that opened in 2023. 'But right now it takes over about six months to get to us.' Matcha comes from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. The plant was brought from China to Japan around 750 CE, according to Rebecca Corbett, a professor of Japanese studies at the University of Southern California. But, she said, matcha itself wasn't made in Japan until around 1250 CE and eventually came to only be produced there. Matcha making is a specialized art: A traditional cup involves grinding shade-grown tea leaves into a fine powder, then mixing that powder into hot water with a bamboo whisk. The drink is used in Japanese tea ceremonies and appreciated for its apparent health benefits, with some evidence that matcha could help lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation and improve concentration. 'People do like the health benefits of matcha, and that's not new,' Corbett said. 'In the 1200, 1300s, people in Japan were talking about that and promoting drinking matcha as a cure for hangovers, for example.' Now, matcha's a global sensation, with customers waiting in long lines at cafés to get their hands on a cup. 'I get matcha all the time,' said Emma Willingham, a customer at Matcha Cafe Maiko in New York City. 'Every time someone else is getting coffee, I'm like, 'OK, give me the matcha.'' Tea experts say social media helped fuel the matcha craze, with people posting their colorful creations. 'If you look on Instagram and TikTok, the bright green color of matcha, it's very visually appealing,' Corbett said. 'And there's also the cool Japan factor, the sort of aesthetics of trendy minimalism. It's all being packaged around matcha.' Tourism in Japan has climbed over the last few years, with a record-breaking 36.9 million people visiting in 2024, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization and the Japan Tourism Agency. Some of those travelers have returned home with bags full of matcha. The demand has gotten so high that some Japanese companies have begun to limit the amount of matcha people can buy. It's not just high demand parching the industry — it's also limited supply. The number of tea farmers has dropped dramatically over the past couple decades: Between 2000 and 2020, 4 out of every 5 tea producers or farmers stopped making tea, according to the Global Japanese Tea Association. 'There's not a lot of people to care for the fields,' said Lauren Purvis, president and CEO of Mizuba Tea Co., which works with Japanese producers to sell matcha and other teas online and to coffee shops. 'As the farmers get older, there'd be tea fields being abandoned.' Record heat also hurt this spring's harvest in Japan. Purvis said some farmers are reporting their harvest was down 20% to 30% from last year due to heat. 'Just a couple years ago, we were really worried about Japanese tea existing, and now everybody wants it,' Purvis said. 'We were just dealing with abandoned fields, and now Japan can't make enough.' It's not easy to scale up production: Only a tiny fraction of Japan's land can be farmed, and experts say making matcha is time-consuming. Purvis said some farmers are working to convert their fields to make more tencha, the leaves used to make matcha, but that takes time. Right now, the supply of matcha is not enough to quench global thirst as matcha companies like Purvis' Mizuba Tea say they're running out. 'We got our 1,000 units in, and it's just like, poof, they're out the door,' Purvis said. Kettl, a company selling Japanese teas online and in its New York and Los Angeles cafés, has had record sales as matcha flies off the shelves. 'We have seen extreme demand,' Zach Mangan, founder of Kettl, said. 'Recently 200 tins went up, and they were gone in about 16 hours.' Shops like Kettl are spending more than ever on some of their matcha options. Mangan said most of Kettl's suppliers doubled their prices from last year — and the company has had to pass some of those added costs on to consumers. He is worried Kettl will need to raise prices even more with the new 15% tariffs on Japanese goods. 'If it were just 15%, and the shortage wasn't causing the demand and the increase in prices, we might be able to just say, 'Whatever, we'll take care of it,'' Mangan said. 'But it makes it more complicated when you're factoring both the tariffs and the increase in raw material costs in Japan.' U.S. consumers are already shelling out more for their matcha lattes. The lattes are averaging $6.15 a cup, according to payment processing company Square, up from $5.84 last year. While U.S. consumers are pulling back on spending at major food chains like McDonald's, Chipotle and Wendy's, they are pouring more money into beverages. Sales at U.S. beverage chains are forecast to grow by 4.5% this year, according to food research company Technomic. 'You have this sort of little bit of barbell effect of super cheap, no bells and whistles, and then go all-out on that one-time experience instead of maybe a continuous type of spend,' said Ming-Tai Huh, head of food and beverage at Square. Even as matcha prices rise, he expects consumers will keep buying it. 'It's a flavor that's both attractive in color, in flavor, in health,' Huh said, 'and those are just good recipes for a long-standing success.'
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Yahoo
5 Things People Get Wrong About Single-Parent Adoption and Foster Care
Reviewed by Sacha Coupet, PhD, JD Key Points Single people who want to foster or adopt a child for a wide variety of reasons, but there might be some misconceptions about their resources and capabilities as caregivers In fact, single people have both the opportunity and the ability to foster or adopt children Experts say that while the adoption process might be intimidating and require commitment, its not an insurmountable process for single people and can be highly rewardingFamilies come in all shapes and sizes–including families built with the help of adoption. Every year, around 100,000 children are adopted in the United States. Single-parent adoption makes up about 28% of all parents adopting from foster care between 2017-2019. Of the 1.8 million adopted children in the U.S, 38% joined their families through private domestic adoptions, and 25% were adopted internationally. While most adoption stories include two parents, adopting a child as a single parent is still a wonderful way to start a family—unfortunately, many misconceptions about single-parent adoption linger. Rita Soronen, President & CEO of Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, says that, of those polled in their 2022 Adoption and Foster Care Attitudes Survey, only 48% felt single parents could provide a healthy environment for an adopted child. But experts say the reality is much different. 'There is simply no reason that a single parent can't provide exactly the right safe, nurturing and thriving environment for an adopted child,' she explains. What are the misconceptions about single-parent adoption–and more importantly, how can these misconceptions be dispelled? Here, we gathered 5 ideas about single-parent adoption that experts say simply aren't true."'We have so many myths and misconceptions surrounding adoption and foster care adoption. We simply need to encourage everyone, from potential adoptive parents to policymakers and practitioners, to focus on the fact that every child needs and deserves the stability and support of a permanent family, no matter their age, the circumstances that moved them into foster care, or how they identify themselves.'" Rita Soronen, President & CEO of Dave Thomas Foundation for AdoptionSingle Parents Aren't Favored to Adopt Some parents might think that adopting as a single parent drastically reduces their chances of adopting through foster care or private adoption. But that couldn't be further from the case. All 50 states have legislation in place allowing single-parent adoption. 'Adoption, including adopting from foster care, is open to all types of family structures. People find themselves single for myriad reasons—single by choice, haven't met the right person, divorce, widowed—and these situations should not stop someone from starting a family if they choose,' Soronen explains. Single parents go through the same steps as couples in the adoption process, she continues, which may differ community to community. 'Of course, single parents are taking on all the work of parenting, so it is important to identify and have a support system in place,' Soronen says. Indeed, single-parent adoption is on the rise. In the 1970s, single-parent adoptions only constituted at most 4%—now single-parent adoption is nearing 30%. You Have to Be Married to Be a Good Parent Let's face it: a stigma around single parents exists. Traditional media amplifies the so-called 'nuclear family': a family with a mother and father at its head and with two or more kids. But increasingly, families don't fit into this narrow framework. As of 2019, nearly a quarter of children live in single-parent households. 'The biggest myth is that you can't adopt or be successful as a single parent, and it's simply not true. Families who adopt are as unique and diverse as the children in their care, and children in foster care do not need to wait for some specific notion of family,' says Soronen. Brittany, former foster parent, and now mom to a teen girl, Kyleigh, explained how long the process of foster-to-adoption can take. It takes serious commitment to build a family, especially through adoption. 'Kyleigh came into foster care March 2021 and was with me until December 2021,' Brittany says. 'She was in a potential adoptive placement until March 2022 but returned to my home abruptly when the family changed their mind. Then she was with me until [Brittany adopted her] in November 2023." At the beginning of the process, Brittany says she experienced feelings of shame and self-consciousness when she decided she wanted to become a parent. But Brittany didn't want to get married—and decided to step into a parental role anyway. 'I was in my late twenties and hadn't met a man I was interested in marrying; but I wanted to be a mom, even if it was temporary. I knew there were kids who needed a safe, stable home and I had the means to provide it,' she says. Like Brittany, many single people choose to adopt or foster for myriad reasons. Perhaps they don't want to get married, or experienced the loss of a partner. Whatever the case, being single and wanting to adopt is valid. Anyone who has the capacity to love and care for a child can become a parent. You Have to Be Wealthy to Adopt While building a family as a single parent can be a challenge financially, you don't have to have unlimited resources to make it work. In fact, many families are choosing to have children later in life, partially because of economic security. 'You don't have to be a stereotypical, two-parent family, you don't have to own your home or be wealthy,' Soronen explains. While domestic adoption can be quite costly, running from $20,000-$45,000, a cost which might take some financial planning on the part of a prospective single parent, foster-to-adopt can be accomplished for under $2600, and in some cases is entirely free through the public welfare system. 'Children need loving individuals in their lives who are willing to meet the challenges of parenting, who understand the journey the child has experienced while in foster care and who will make a lifetime commitment to caring for and nurturing them,' Soronen says. Single-Parent Support Systems Are Lacking When Brittany decided to foster Kyleigh, her main concern was whether she could provide the support her child needed. 'However, I learned those needs could be met in ways other than having a partner or spouse. I had friends, both male and female, who stepped up when I needed help,' she explains. Not only could she lean on her friends when she needed someone to talk to, but they helped her with pick ups and drop offs, helped her with shopping, and even dropped off meals. While this looks different from a traditional family dynamic, Brittany made it work for Kyleigh. 'We had a very solid community and support system around us,' she says. Soronen concurs: Successful, loving, and supportive families look different for everyone, and single parents are more than capable of growing a good support network. 'Family is the essential structure that we all need when life is challenging, when there is cause for celebration of life's special moments and when we simply need a place to rest. And who are we to say what that family should look like?' Soronen says. Single-Parent Households Can't Provide Enough Love for a Child It's a backwards and outdated assertion that single-parent homes can't offer enough love to an adopted child. Kyleigh came from a difficult situation: After her father died, her stepmother could not take care of her. She entered the foster care system at 12 years old–until Brittany brought her into her home. 'The first few days I was with Brittany I was really scared about what was going to happen to me but in the end I ended up being her forever daughter,' she explains. Brittany says that though she faced a serious learning curve, becoming Kyleigh's mom is the best thing she's ever done. 'I've never regretted saying yes to Kyleigh,' she says. In the end, the wellbeing of a child in an adoptive household, no matter what the configuration of parents, matters most. For Kyleigh, coming into Brittany's home was a wonderful turning point. 'Brittany is the most amazing mom a teenage girl can ever have,' she says. Read the original article on Parents Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Yahoo
Could Your Birth Control Method Be Affecting Your Performance In The Gym? Here's What Experts Say
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Thanks to TikToks, sketchy health blogs, and Thanksgiving soapboxes courtesy of your toxic aunt, the rumor that birth control affects your ability to perform athletically has been spread far and wide for way too long. We get why it's confusing. Hormonal birth control methods such as contraceptive pills alter your hormones, which can affect…well, everything else, like your workouts. But, science hasn't exactly found that to be true. Plus, there are several kinds of birth control methods; some are more studied than others. We have some limited information on how oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) affect athletic performance in females. Other forms, including intrauterine devices (IUDs) with and without hormones, as well as implants, work differently and are even less studied. We consulted the experts to find out what we know, and what we don't, about how your birth control may affect your workouts. Meet the Experts: Jessica Shepherd, MD, is a board-certified ob-gyn, author of Generation M: Living Well in Perimenopause and Menopause, and Women's Health advisory board member. Bailey McLagan is a PhD candidate in exercise physiology at the University of Southern California, who specializes in women's performance research, including how birth control affects workouts. It's difficult to generalize these medications' effects since there are a bunch of different types, and they affect women differently. The most commonly used is oral contraceptives. These medications include synthetic hormones and generally work by "sending a signal to our brain to tell our body not to release an egg,' says Bailey McLagan, MS, a PhD candidate in exercise physiology at the University of Southern California, who studies the role of female hormones in exercise and recovery. 'The goal is to prevent ovulation, thus preventing the possibility of getting pregnant.' They can cause a handful of side effects that may indirectly affect performance, such as mood changes, spotting, cramping, nausea, or headaches. Even though these side effects are possible, it's important to note that not everyone will experience them, McLagan notes. Beyond side effects, 'it's not clear what, if any, effect OCPs have on training,' McLagan says. 'This is because there are so many kinds that are often not recorded in research and because studies don't often differentiate between OCP users and non-users.' One 2022 study, for example, looked at hormonal oral birth control effects on strength training outcomes, including muscle thickness, muscle fiber size, and composition over a 12-week period. They found that factors were similar between women who did and did not use oral contraceptives, says Jessica Shepherd, MD, board-certified ob-gyn and Women's Health advisory board member. START YOUR STRENGTH TRANSFORMATION Another study looked at exercise performance factors such as workload, exhaustion, time to completion, mean peak outputs, rate of production, and maximal oxygen intake between oral contraception users and non-users. The study found a trivial reduction in performance factors in those using oral contraception. 'It's important to remember that performance is impacted by a lot of things, so a trivial reduction doesn't signify an advantage in one over the other,' McLagan says. Some studies have looked at the impact of hormonal birth control on VO2 max—a measure of how much oxygen you use during training, Dr. Shepherd says. When VO2 max is high, it means that your body is more efficient at delivering oxygen to the muscles, Dr. Shepherd says. One study found the use of oral contraceptives might lower VO2 max. As mentioned, oral contraceptives aren't the only form of birth control. Dr. Shepherd says hormonal IUDs have shown some positive results. In one study, it was found to be the best-tolerated contraceptive for female endurance athletes. It also had the highest percentage of users who perceived positive training and competition impacts. 'Overall, there should be better research that looks at a prospective, randomized design to assess the effects of all types of hormonal contraceptives on athletic performance in females,' Dr. Shepherd says. What we do know: Much more research needs to be done to determine the effects of different birth control methods on training performance. Ultimately, how your experience on how birth control affects your workouts will differ from others. Therefore, you might have to go through some level of trial and error to determine what works for you. If you're on a new form of birth control, your doctor might tell you to stay on it for more than a month to see if potential symptoms subside or not. Ultimately, you shouldn't have to choose between being on birth control and getting the workout results you want. There are a ton of reasons to stay on birth control beyond pregnancy prevention—and there are tons of options to choose from. So don't be afraid to advocate for yourself to find the one that gives you the best results in all aspects of your life. 'If a certain form of OCP is making you feel uncomfortable, it may be that you need a different formulation of hormones, a lower dose, or switch to a different birth control method altogether,' McLagan says. Keep an open line of communication with your doctor, and adjust as necessary until you find a path that works for you. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
