6. Operationalization of Reunification Practices for Children

Integrating Child-Focused Expertise into Incident Operations

This section provides guidance for integrating child-focused subject matter experts into the Incident Command System (ICS). It also identifies key components of Family Reunification Center (FRC) operations needed to support children’s safety, care, supervision, communication, and reunification.

Embedding child-focused expertise within incident command helps ensure that operational decisions account for children’s developmental, medical, behavioral, communication, accessibility, and protection needs.