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ACF official outlines OHSEPR’s people-centered approach to disaster preparedness and recovery
Summary
An Administration for Children and Families (ACF) official described the Office of Human Services, Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR) as a bridge between emergency management and human services and urged investment in community engagement, coordination and tailored support to help disaster‑affected households recover.
An Administration for Children and Families (ACF) official said the agency views "Human Services [as] the essential link to supporting people before, during and after a disaster," and described a new emphasis on coordinating social supports with emergency management.
The overview, presented by an ACF agency official, laid out the mission of the Office of Human Services, Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR). "OHSEPR's mission is to lead, strengthen and unify Human Services to prepare, respond and recover from emergencies and crises," the official said, framing the office as a connector between emergency-management systems and the network of human‑services programs that assist households in crisis.
The official said OHSEPR adopts a "holistic, people centric approach" that places individuals, families and communities at the center of response planning and stresses tailoring services to survivors' needs. To that end, the presentation called for investing in community engagement and public education and for earlier coordination with service providers "before an emergency to lay the groundwork for effective response and recovery."
The briefing summarized the everyday reach of ACF programs nationwide, noting they help people achieve economic stability, support parents and caregivers, develop communities, and offer pathways "to transition from crisis to self-sufficiency." Specific services cited included early childhood development and education; child welfare and foster care; direct financial assistance; housing and case management; and preventative and supportive programs for family violence prevention, human‑trafficking prevention and refugee assistance.
The official said OHSEPR focuses on helping communities, service providers and households "get back on their feet, especially after a disaster or crisis," and emphasized collaboration with emergency-management and social‑services agencies, health‑care providers and community organizations to ensure services respond to survivors' needs. The presentation closed by stating OHSEPR's vision of building "a robust national disaster response infrastructure that focuses on the Human Services needs of individuals, families, and communities."
This transcript is an informational overview; no motions, votes or formal decisions were recorded.
