UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS 
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES 
OFFICE OF CHILD CARE & REGULATORY SERVICES 
 
 
TERRITORY-WIDE 
CHILD CARE DISASTER PLAN 
 
Revised December 2025 
 
 
Virgin Islands Department of Human Services 
Office of Child Care and Regulatory Services 
Territory-Wide Child Care Disaster Plan 
 
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This plan formalizes the United States Virgin Islands Department of Human Services 
(VIDHS) Office of Child Care and Regulatory Services (OCCRS) structured 
response process before, during and after disasters/emergencies.  The OCCRS is 
the lead agency for Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) programming in the 
U.S. Virgin Islands (hereinafter referred to as “the territory”).  
 
The OCCRS administers the territory’s Licensing, Quality Improvement and CCDF 
Subsidy & Referral functions for public, private and parochial providers of 
childcare services. They license monitor, provide training, quality improvement 
opportunities, perform eligibility and enrollment activities for CCDF benefits and 
provides in public awareness and education for the community.  
 
This plan addresses the need for safe child care before, during, and after a major 
disaster, a state of emergency declared by the Governor or any such event that, 
at the discretion of agency leadership warrants implementation of some or all 
components of this plan.  
 
 
 
This Disaster Plan provides guidance to all licensed registered, legally exempt 
childcare programs and providers daycare, group day care home, kids club, 
family day care home, afterschool, residential home program, & summer camp)  
receiving funds under the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 
2014. It is a component plan of the VIDHS Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) 
and provides specific guidance to the OCCRS when the territory faces 
disasters/emergencies and emergency response protocols are activated.   
 
 
 
The Office of Child Care and Regulatory Services is a division within VIDHS, the 
agency designated as the territory’s Emergency Support Function 6 (ESF6) – Mass 
Care, Emergency Assistance, Housing and Human Services lead.  The OCCRS’  
territory-wide disaster plan follows the protocols prescribed as a part of the 
territory’s emergency operation plan response. The VI’s Territorial Emergency 
Operations Plan (TEOP) is executed by fifteen emergency support functions with 
the guidance and coordination of the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency 
Management Agency (VITEMA) and the Federal Emergency management 
Agency (FEMA).  Emergency support functions are carried out collaboratively 
between governmental and nongovernmental agencies as well as private and 
nonprofit entities designated as a part of Virgin Islands voluntary organizations 
active in disasters (VIVOADS). 
 
PURPOSE 
APPLICABILITY 
COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION WITH KEY PARTNERS  
Virgin Islands Department of Human Services 
Office of Child Care and Regulatory Services 
Territory-Wide Child Care Disaster Plan 
 
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The key support agencies for ESF6 and VIDHS, including OCCRS are: American 
Red Cross (ARC), VI Department of Agriculture (VIDA), VI Department of 
Education (VIDE), VI Police Department (VIPD), VI Department of Sports, Parks, 
and Recreation (DSP&R), VI Department of Public Works (DPW), VI National Guard 
(VING), VI Department of Health (VIDOH), VI Waste Management Authority (VI), 
VI Fire and Emergency Medical Services )VIFEMS), and VITEMA. The Commissioner 
of the Department of Human Services serves on the decision making board on 
next steps for the territory wide disaster plan development and implementation.  
 
The Territory has implemented National Incident Management System (NIMS), as 
outlined in VIDHS protocol, as the standard incident management structure within 
the U.S. Virgin Islands. Incident Command System (ICS) is the standard for on-
scene emergency management throughout the Territory. 
 
The Office of Child Care and Regulatory Services, an agency within VIDHS has 
comprehensive responsibility, authority and oversight of the territory’s child care 
facilities licensure, monitory of health and safety, quality improvement and CCDF 
subsidy enrollment, eligibility, disbursement and management. With these 
functions unified under VIDHS OCCRS, the territory’s public, private and parochial 
schools as well as Early Head Start and Head Start are informed by, subject to and 
benefit from this plan. The territory does not have a State Advisory Council on Early 
Childhood Education and Care but the Lead agency effectively acts as a similar 
coordinating body. 
 
 
All CCDF program functions are carried out by the OCCRS. In times of 
emergencies/disasters, the OCCRS ensures continuity of operations, execution of 
mission essential functions and continuation of the following core CCDF program 
functions as described below:  
a) Ensure that licensed programs receiving CCDF funds are safe and 
operational - OCCRS must visit each facility and assess damage from the 
disaster to the property and equipment in conjunction with VING, and 
VIFEMS. The Licensing Unit assesses the programs’ facilities and their staffing 
to ensure the programs are safe to reopen and continue operation in a 
safe and healthy environment. Determinations will be made by the 
assessing agencies about whether the child care provider can operate 
from the existing facility.  
i) OCCRS will provide technical assistance to child care providers to allow 
them to identify new locations to provide services, if necessary; to 
prioritize repairs to facilities and equipment; to secure funding and other 
support needed to reopen; to access donated supplies and materials 
for program where necessary; to obtain services need to restore facility 
(ex. cleaning, repair services and building inspection); to restore records 
CONTINUATION OF CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES AND SERVICES 
Virgin Islands Department of Human Services 
Office of Child Care and Regulatory Services 
Territory-Wide Child Care Disaster Plan 
 
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and administrative services; to obtain waivers, if needed, and become 
re-licensed.  
b) Track families receiving subsidies impacted by the disaster – OCCRS would  
maintain contact with customers utilizing updated contact information 
stored utilizing redundancies that safely archive information off site 
(telephone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses); utilizing the 
Joint Information Center (JIC) to provide CCDF families and the general 
public with status of available child care services and means of making 
contact with the lead agency to access child care services. 
c) Provisions to extend eligibility re-determinations for families – During a State 
of Emergency, the lead agency will suspend the need for families to 
recertify until infrastructure access and operations return to normal. 
Children and families that are eligible continue to be eligible throughout 
the duration of a State of Emergency.  
d) The lead agency working collaboratively with GVI’s Office of Management 
and Budget, Department of Property & Procurement and the Department 
of Finance will ensure that CCDF payments continue to be provided in the 
aftermath of a disaster.    
e. The lead agency will assist new enrollees or prepare for an influx of families 
who may need assistance after a disaster. A territory-wide taskforce is put 
in place after disasters to support with these efforts.  
f. The lead agency will Implement a waiting list if the Lead Agency does not 
have one, as appropriate.     
 
OCCRS supports child care providers in recovering from disasters by delivering 
technical assistance, training, and resources to strengthen emergency 
preparedness and response. OCCRS works closely with emergency management, 
licensing, and public health officials to assess damage and provider status in 
affected areas. OCCRS helps ensure business continuity by guiding providers on 
insurance coverage, safeguarding records and assets, and accessing financial 
assistance or micro-loans through partnerships with business associations and 
community development organizations. Additionally, OCCRS collaborates with 
VITEMA to clarify reimbursement eligibility and facilitates the rapid setup of 
temporary child care services when facilities are disrupted. 
 
 
Preparedness Procedures and Accommodations 
 
All childcare programs (formal and informal), regardless of their size, or type, must 
develop a disaster plan that can immediately be activated based on the alerts and 
declarations made by the Governor of the territory and the Virgin Islands Territorial 
COORDINATION OF POST DISASTER RECOVERY OF CHILD CARE SERVICES 
REQUIREMENTS FOR CCDF PROVIDERS AND OTHER CHILD CARE PROVIDERS 
Virgin Islands Department of Human Services 
Office of Child Care and Regulatory Services 
Territory-Wide Child Care Disaster Plan 
 
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Emergency Management Agency’s (VITEMA). Disaster plans must include procedures 
for childcare staff to implement if they must: 
- 
Leave the premises quickly to attain a safe distance from all events danger(s) 
(evacuation) 
- 
Leave the facility location and re-establish the learning environment in another 
location (relocation) 
- 
Remain safely on site (shelter-in-place) 
- 
Remain safely on site, preventing the exit or entrance of persons unto the site. 
(lock down) 
Disaster plans must include procedures for accommodation of infants and toddlers, children with 
disabilities, and children with chronic medical conditions. 
 
Family childcare providers must have a plan that protects the health and safety of their 
own family, as well as the children for whom they are providing care. They must 
minimize the impact of disasters on the facility in which they both live and work. Generally, 
childcare providers must also help their employees plan for their own families while 
transporting and caring for the childcare center’s children, especially if relocation is 
required.  
 
Staff and Volunteer Emergency Preparedness 
OCCRS licensing regulations require that all childcare providers ensure that all persons 
(staff, contractors and volunteers) at their facilities during the administering of childcare 
services participate in annual disaster preparedness training, including virtual seminars, 
in- person tabletops and practice drills. 
- 
Staff in all programs must conduct individual emergency evacuation drills monthly 
and other types of drills at least twice a year.  
(1) Record the days and times when drills are conducted, including evening, overnight 
and weekend hours, if your center cares for children during those hours.  
(2) Document the type of drill, date time of day, name of the person supervising the 
drill, number of children and staff in attendance, and length of time taken for all 
individuals to complete the drill.  
(3) The children must be able to safely exit the building within three minutes.  
 
OCCRS licensing staff will monitor compliance with these requirements and document 
them during annual Standard by Standard evaluations. Additionally, OCCRS will host 
annual training on disaster and emergency planning for child care programs to assist 
providers in creating or updating their disaster plans to ensure safety before, during, and 
after an emergency.  OCCRS’s ongoing collaboration with other partnering emergency 
agencies creates additional opportunities for VITEMA to offer all programs with planning 
and preparedness training, ensuring child care providers are resilient to disasters. 
 
Communication and Reunification 
All program Emergency Preparedness Plans must include procedures for notifying 
parents/guardians after the emergency ends and how children will be reunited with their 
families as the evacuation, relocation, sheltering-in-place or lock-down is lifted. Consider 
how your program will reunify children with their families by Collecting and keep 
Virgin Islands Department of Human Services 
Office of Child Care and Regulatory Services 
Territory-Wide Child Care Disaster Plan 
 
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emergency contact information, and health requirements for all children, families, staff 
and volunteers., Create and use a child emergency information form for each child for this 
purpose. This information must be in a ready-to-go file for easy access and mobility in an 
emergency.  
The Territory’s emergency operations plan requires that all childcare programs, when 
evacuating or relocating from their original sites must travel with a complete list/log of all 
children and staff reasonably expected to have been on site at the time the evacuation of 
relocation commenced.  
Continuity of Operations 
Childcare providers must have procedures for Continuity of Operation (COOP) in order 
to continue providing child care after a natural or man-made disaster, including access to 
copies of records, phone numbers, documents, or computer files, and supplies necessary 
for continued operation.  
 
Reviewed ☐: 
 
Approved ☐:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yvette Henry  
 
 
 
 
 
Date 
Community Affairs Coordinator 
Territorial ESF 6 Lead 
 
Reviewed ☐: 
 
Approved ☐:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Carla E. Benjamin  
 
 
 
 
Date 
Assistant Commissioner 
 
Reviewed ☐: 
 
Approved ☐:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Averil E. George 
 
 
 
 
 
Date 
Commissioner 
12.29.2025
01-12-2026
01/12/26