Child Reunification Considerations for Communities

7. Recovery: Transitioning from Reunification Operations to Post-Event Stabilization

7.3. Child-Focused After-Action Review and Plan Improvement

After-Action Reporting and Improvement Planning

The After-Action Report (AAR) and Improvement Plan (IP) should document child-focused findings and evidence-informed recommendations. This ensures that future reunification planning reflects lessons learned and remains responsive to children’s needs.

AAR and IP Actions

Include a dedicated child-operations section or annex in the AAR.
Document strengths, challenges, unmet needs, and observed outcomes related to children and families.
Identify child-focused tools, partnerships, staffing models, resources, and training that were effective, insufficient, or unavailable.
Translate findings into specific corrective actions with assigned owners, required resources, milestones, and completion dates.
Update child-focused components of the reunification plan, standard operating procedures, training, job action sheets, and exercise materials.
Reconvene the Child Reunification Focus Group to review findings, prioritize improvements, and revise protocols.
Establish a process for monitoring corrective actions through completion and validating improvements during future exercises.

Use Appendix X: Child-Focused After-Action Report and Improvement Plan to document findings, assign corrective actions, and monitor progress.