TARTAGLIONE RESOLUTION AIMS AT CHILD-CARE PREPAREDNESS

HARRISBURG, April 30, 2003 -- As Pennsylvania prepares for the possibility of terrorism, officials should not forget to plan for those who can’t do it for themselves, state Sen. Christine Targaglione said today.

“Although government buildings and private offices have tightened security and boosted preparedness in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the children of those office workers remain vulnerable,” Tartaglione said.

Tartaglione today introduced a resolution calling on emergency planners to come up with guidelines on how day-care centers should respond in the event of a terrorist attack.

“Every day millions of Pennsylvania children are not under the supervision of their parents,” Tartaglione said. “Evacuation plans and other preparations are useless if parents can’t be assured the safety of their children.”

Targaglione’s resolution calls for the state Office of Homeland Security and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to cooperate with the Department of Welfare to formulate guidelines to help child-care providers prepare for emergencies.

“I just want to make sure that our children who are out of sight are not out of mind,” Tartaglione said. “If adults have these protections and these plans, our children should have them, too.”

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