#childcare — Public Fediverse posts

Some have also raised concerns about whether it could increase the risk of fraud, since the money would be going to individuals rather than businesses. The admin has sought to crack down on #fraud in #SocialServices programs, particularly #childcare.

The idea of paying #parents to stay home was outlined in #Project2025, the #conservative blueprint published by the #HeritageFoundation ahead of #Trump’s return to office, much of which overlaps with the admin’s #policy agenda.

#law #FarRight

Some have also raised concerns about whether it could increase the risk of fraud, since the money would be going to individuals rather than businesses. The admin has sought to crack down on #fraud in #SocialServices programs, particularly #childcare.

The idea of paying #parents to stay home was outlined in #Project2025, the #conservative blueprint published by the #HeritageFoundation ahead of #Trump’s return to office, much of which overlaps with the admin’s #policy agenda.

#law #FarRight

Some have also raised concerns about whether it could increase the risk of fraud, since the money would be going to individuals rather than businesses. The admin has sought to crack down on #fraud in #SocialServices programs, particularly #childcare.

The idea of paying #parents to stay home was outlined in #Project2025, the #conservative blueprint published by the #HeritageFoundation ahead of #Trump’s return to office, much of which overlaps with the admin’s #policy agenda.

#law #FarRight

Some have also raised concerns about whether it could increase the risk of fraud, since the money would be going to individuals rather than businesses. The admin has sought to crack down on #fraud in #SocialServices programs, particularly #childcare.

The idea of paying #parents to stay home was outlined in #Project2025, the #conservative blueprint published by the #HeritageFoundation ahead of #Trump’s return to office, much of which overlaps with the admin’s #policy agenda.

#law #FarRight

Some have also raised concerns about whether it could increase the risk of fraud, since the money would be going to individuals rather than businesses. The admin has sought to crack down on #fraud in #SocialServices programs, particularly #childcare.

The idea of paying #parents to stay home was outlined in #Project2025, the #conservative blueprint published by the #HeritageFoundation ahead of #Trump’s return to office, much of which overlaps with the admin’s #policy agenda.

#law #FarRight

About 80% of the 870,000 #families who currently get the #childcare #subsidies have #single #WorkingParents, most of them #SingleMothers, acc/to Health Department data.

The policy change would effectively create a government incentive for #married #parents to stay home with their #children, an idea embraced as part of a broader #conservative effort to advance policies that promote more mothers staying at home.

#Trump #law #FarRight #MaleSupremacy #TradWives #heterosexism #sexism #misogyny

About 80% of the 870,000 #families who currently get the #childcare #subsidies have #single #WorkingParents, most of them #SingleMothers, acc/to Health Department data.

The policy change would effectively create a government incentive for #married #parents to stay home with their #children, an idea embraced as part of a broader #conservative effort to advance policies that promote more mothers staying at home.

#Trump #law #FarRight #MaleSupremacy #TradWives #heterosexism #sexism #misogyny

About 80% of the 870,000 #families who currently get the #childcare #subsidies have #single #WorkingParents, most of them #SingleMothers, acc/to Health Department data.

The policy change would effectively create a government incentive for #married #parents to stay home with their #children, an idea embraced as part of a broader #conservative effort to advance policies that promote more mothers staying at home.

#Trump #law #FarRight #MaleSupremacy #TradWives #heterosexism #sexism #misogyny

About 80% of the 870,000 #families who currently get the #childcare #subsidies have #single #WorkingParents, most of them #SingleMothers, acc/to Health Department data.

The policy change would effectively create a government incentive for #married #parents to stay home with their #children, an idea embraced as part of a broader #conservative effort to advance policies that promote more mothers staying at home.

#Trump #law #FarRight #MaleSupremacy #TradWives #heterosexism #sexism #misogyny

About 80% of the 870,000 #families who currently get the #childcare #subsidies have #single #WorkingParents, most of them #SingleMothers, acc/to Health Department data.

The policy change would effectively create a government incentive for #married #parents to stay home with their #children, an idea embraced as part of a broader #conservative effort to advance policies that promote more mothers staying at home.

#Trump #law #FarRight #MaleSupremacy #TradWives #heterosexism #sexism #misogyny

Under the draft new rule, #parents who stay home with their #children could benefit from the program, which typically provides about $9,000 per child each year, potentially reshaping which #families get #federal #childcare money.

The move could end up redirecting money away from #WorkingParents & their child care providers, causing some to raise their rates or even close, critics said, potentially worsening what many experts say is a child care crisis in the country.

#Trump #law #FarRight

The change would create the only federal subsidy to pay #parents to stay home & raise their children, one of the most significant efforts to date by the #Trump admin to harness federal funds to promote a #traditional view of #families.

To do so, officials are seeking to use a #HHS fund that was created in the 1990s to help #LowIncome & #WorkingClass parents afford #childcare so they could work or go to school.

#law #FarRight #conservative #MaleSupremacy #TradWives #sexism #misogyny #plutocracy

#Trump Officials Plan to Pay At-Home #Parents, Using Funds for Working Ones

The proposed benefit, a top policy priority for #JDVance, would apply only to #married couples & tap a fund intended to provide federal #childcare subsidies to #WorkingParents.

#law #FarRight #AltRight #conservative #MaleSupremacy #TradWives #heterosexism #heteronormativity #sexism #misogyny #plutocracy #aristocracy
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/05/us/politics/stay-at-home-parents-subsidies.html?unlocked_article_code=1._FA.FRjY.ZCWLQiS1gk4E&smid=nytcore-ios-share

#Trump Officials Plan to Pay At-Home #Parents, Using Funds for Working Ones

The proposed benefit, a top policy priority for #JDVance, would apply only to #married couples & tap a fund intended to provide federal #childcare subsidies to #WorkingParents.

#law #FarRight #AltRight #conservative #MaleSupremacy #TradWives #heterosexism #heteronormativity #sexism #misogyny #plutocracy #aristocracy
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/05/us/politics/stay-at-home-parents-subsidies.html?unlocked_article_code=1._FA.FRjY.ZCWLQiS1gk4E&smid=nytcore-ios-share

#Trump Officials Plan to Pay At-Home #Parents, Using Funds for Working Ones

The proposed benefit, a top policy priority for #JDVance, would apply only to #married couples & tap a fund intended to provide federal #childcare subsidies to #WorkingParents.

#law #FarRight #AltRight #conservative #MaleSupremacy #TradWives #heterosexism #heteronormativity #sexism #misogyny #plutocracy #aristocracy
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/05/us/politics/stay-at-home-parents-subsidies.html?unlocked_article_code=1._FA.FRjY.ZCWLQiS1gk4E&smid=nytcore-ios-share

#Trump Officials Plan to Pay At-Home #Parents, Using Funds for Working Ones

The proposed benefit, a top policy priority for #JDVance, would apply only to #married couples & tap a fund intended to provide federal #childcare subsidies to #WorkingParents.

#law #FarRight #AltRight #conservative #MaleSupremacy #TradWives #heterosexism #heteronormativity #sexism #misogyny #plutocracy #aristocracy
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/05/us/politics/stay-at-home-parents-subsidies.html?unlocked_article_code=1._FA.FRjY.ZCWLQiS1gk4E&smid=nytcore-ios-share

#Trump Officials Plan to Pay At-Home #Parents, Using Funds for Working Ones

The proposed benefit, a top policy priority for #JDVance, would apply only to #married couples & tap a fund intended to provide federal #childcare subsidies to #WorkingParents.

#law #FarRight #AltRight #conservative #MaleSupremacy #TradWives #heterosexism #heteronormativity #sexism #misogyny #plutocracy #aristocracy
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/05/us/politics/stay-at-home-parents-subsidies.html?unlocked_article_code=1._FA.FRjY.ZCWLQiS1gk4E&smid=nytcore-ios-share

How does Mr Trump feel about helping Americans?

https://quinnscommentary.net/2026/09/06/how-does-mr-trump-feel-about-helping-americans/

Trump Officials Draft Plan to Pay At-Home Parents, Using Funds for Working Ones

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/05/us/politics/stay-at-home-parents-subsidies.html

So stop fighting these useless wars and start funding programs that truly matter, you homicidal maniac! Our felon POTUS is a bloodthirsty menace.

https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/fighting-wars-trump-argues-washington-113500738.html

#impeach #felon #POTUS #TraitorMAGA #TraitorGOP #USPolitics #USPol #government #war #childcare #medicare #medicaid

So stop fighting these useless wars and start funding programs that truly matter, you homicidal maniac! Our felon POTUS is a bloodthirsty menace.

https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/fighting-wars-trump-argues-washington-113500738.html

#impeach #felon #POTUS #TraitorMAGA #TraitorGOP #USPolitics #USPol #government #war #childcare #medicare #medicaid

So stop fighting these useless wars and start funding programs that truly matter, you homicidal maniac! Our felon POTUS is a bloodthirsty menace.

https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/fighting-wars-trump-argues-washington-113500738.html

#impeach #felon #POTUS #TraitorMAGA #TraitorGOP #USPolitics #USPol #government #war #childcare #medicare #medicaid

So stop fighting these useless wars and start funding programs that truly matter, you homicidal maniac! Our felon POTUS is a bloodthirsty menace.

https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/fighting-wars-trump-argues-washington-113500738.html

#impeach #felon #POTUS #TraitorMAGA #TraitorGOP #USPolitics #USPol #government #war #childcare #medicare #medicaid

So stop fighting these useless wars and start funding programs that truly matter, you homicidal maniac! Our felon POTUS is a bloodthirsty menace.

https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/fighting-wars-trump-argues-washington-113500738.html

#impeach #felon #POTUS #TraitorMAGA #TraitorGOP #USPolitics #USPol #government #war #childcare #medicare #medicaid

Two Children Killed as Drone Hits Krasnodar Childcare

Drone debris struck a private children's centre in Krasnodar, killing two and injuring nine including seven children, the regional governor says

https://pulseofnations.lol/two-children-killed-as/

#Casualties #Childcare #DroneAttack #DroneStrikes #Krasnodar #Russia #Ukraine

Tommy Fury under fire as he blasts Kim Kardashian for using nannies to raise kids

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/tommy-fury-molly-mae-nannies-37530098

Long overdue IRR for early childhood care law finally signed

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.rappler.com/philippines/early-childhood-care-development-system-act-implementing-rules-regulations-signed/

'Chilling realisation about son's screentime changed how I parent – I recommend it'

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/family/chilling-realisation-sons-screentime-changed-37512802

https://substack.com/inbox/post/206634637

'#National’s 2023 mandate ... was a specific, time-bound trust: steady the #economic ship, ease the #cost of living, govern from a broadly centrist place. Three years later, National is ... asking voters to forget the record and judge them instead on a new set of promises. ...

'The forgotten mandate of 2023

'In 2023, New Zealanders didn’t vote for an ideological revolution. They voted for a change of management. National’s pitch was pragmatic and restrained: fix the basics, restore confidence, bring some relief to households battered by #inflation and instability.

'That mandate ... was about #rent, groceries, power bills, #childcare, #wages, and making public services work.

'Instead of anchoring the government in centrist economic stewardship, National traded that space away, ... to satisfy coalition partners with far sharper ideological agendas.

'The pivot to culture wars and identity politics

'Instead of spending its political capital on productivity and shared prosperity, the government spent much of its term fuelling divisive fights ....

'A #Treaty Principles Bill, driven by ACT and enabled by National, tried to freeze a narrow, Crown-centric reading of Te Tiriti into law. It failed, but the process itself strained social cohesion ....

'Moves to prioritise English-only branding and pare back te reo Māori in public-sector naming sent a clear message: bilingualism and #Māori visibility were now optional extras, not foundational commitments.

'In education, “back to basics” rhetoric became a vehicle for rolling back more relational, inclusive approaches to education. ....

'Trans and #gender diverse communities were ... dragged into the spotlight as ministers flirted with imported culture-war talking points, ....

'None of this delivered cheaper rent, lower #grocery bills, or shorter #GP wait times. What it delivered was distraction, division, and a clear signal that marginalised communities were expendable

'.....'

Ummi Let’s Play

COMING SOON

(For other amazon worldwide, search product code: )

Author: Umm Assad
Publisher: Umm Assad Publications
Year of Publication: 2026
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 34
Trim Size (inches): 8.5×8.5
ISBN-10: 978-1-915233-29-5

Click images below to view:

Description:

Nafisa has so much love to give — and she wants to spend every moment with her Ummi, even when Ummi is busy… cooking, cleaning, and working.

But as Nafisa grows, she learns that finding joy sometimes means playing alone — even when Ummi can’t join in.
A gentle, loving story about patience, independence, and the special bond between a mother and her child.


Recommended for ages 3-8 years.

#Trump’s Top #Child Care Official Wants a ‘Bonfire of Regulations’
As Americans face soaring #childcare cost, Alex Adams wants to loosen rules and tighten spending. Critics say it will harm #children and close #daycares
He said Federal childcare regulations should “fit on an index card in my back pocket." Among his targets: sweeping overhaul in a generation for #HeadStart, which provides child care and #preschool to thousands of poorest children.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/us/politics/child-care-regulations.html
https://archive.ph/DhlZX

#Trump’s Top #Child Care Official Wants a ‘Bonfire of Regulations’
As Americans face soaring #childcare cost, Alex Adams wants to loosen rules and tighten spending. Critics say it will harm #children and close #daycares
He said Federal childcare regulations should “fit on an index card in my back pocket." Among his targets: sweeping overhaul in a generation for #HeadStart, which provides child care and #preschool to thousands of poorest children.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/us/politics/child-care-regulations.html
https://archive.ph/DhlZX

#Trump’s Top #Child Care Official Wants a ‘Bonfire of Regulations’
As Americans face soaring #childcare cost, Alex Adams wants to loosen rules and tighten spending. Critics say it will harm #children and close #daycares
He said Federal childcare regulations should “fit on an index card in my back pocket." Among his targets: sweeping overhaul in a generation for #HeadStart, which provides child care and #preschool to thousands of poorest children.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/us/politics/child-care-regulations.html
https://archive.ph/DhlZX

#Trump’s Top #Child Care Official Wants a ‘Bonfire of Regulations’
As Americans face soaring #childcare cost, Alex Adams wants to loosen rules and tighten spending. Critics say it will harm #children and close #daycares
He said Federal childcare regulations should “fit on an index card in my back pocket." Among his targets: sweeping overhaul in a generation for #HeadStart, which provides child care and #preschool to thousands of poorest children.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/us/politics/child-care-regulations.html
https://archive.ph/DhlZX

#Trump’s Top #Child Care Official Wants a ‘Bonfire of Regulations’
As Americans face soaring #childcare cost, Alex Adams wants to loosen rules and tighten spending. Critics say it will harm #children and close #daycares
He said Federal childcare regulations should “fit on an index card in my back pocket." Among his targets: sweeping overhaul in a generation for #HeadStart, which provides child care and #preschool to thousands of poorest children.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/us/politics/child-care-regulations.html
https://archive.ph/DhlZX

FUNDED CHILDCARE: Swansea families set to benefit as Welsh Government pumps £55m into expansion

Hundreds more two-year-olds across Wales will get funded childcare under a new cash injection — with Swansea already among the first areas to offer it.

Hundreds more families across Wales are in line for funded childcare after the Welsh Government announced a £55 million investment.

The money will speed up the rollout of 12.5 hours of funded childcare a week for all two-year-olds, delivered through councils including in Swansea.

Swansea was the second area in Wales to offer the scheme to every two-year-old, after Merthyr Tydfil, with Newport following soon after.

Wrexham has now joined that list, becoming the first North Wales authority to reach the milestone.

The £55m forms part of the Welsh Government’s First Supplementary Budget for 2026-27.

It includes £10m of capital funding to expand and improve childcare settings, aimed at boosting the quality and number of places available.

Ministers say the cash will help providers manage rising demand and stay afloat financially, while also supporting Welsh-medium childcare.

That ties into the long-standing target of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

The investment is a step towards the government’s wider promise of 20 hours of funded care a week for every child aged nine months to four years old.

At full rollout, ministers claim that offer will be the most generous anywhere in the UK.

Sioned Williams, the Plaid Cymru Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality, who holds the childcare brief, said the move showed the government was “accelerating our commitments to the families of Wales.”

“Childcare costs in Wales are the highest in the UK and I am determined to help families all over Wales, while also supporting children’s development,” she said.

She added that she was “particularly pleased” Wrexham was now expanding its offer, and that the government would keep working with councils to roll it out everywhere.

Research by Coram Family and Childcare last year found Wales had the highest holiday childcare costs of the British nations, lending weight to her claim.

A new expert steering group will advise on the next stages of the rollout, focusing on training enough staff, digital applications and improving access for families.

The funding lands just days after the policy behind it caused chaos in the Senedd.

Reform UK tabled a debate on 11 June demanding the new Plaid government publish full costings and a timetable for its childcare offer within its first 100 days.

But the motion was amended to point out that Reform’s own election manifesto contained no childcare commitments — and in a tangle that drew mockery, 11 Reform members ended up voting for the amended motion attacking their own party.

Reform has claimed the full childcare offer could cost between £388m and £710m a year, well above the roughly £400m figure Plaid has cited.

The latest announcement also marks a change of guard, with funded childcare milestones celebrated earlier this year by the then Labour government’s children’s minister, Dawn Bowden.

Welsh Labour lost power to Plaid Cymru at May’s Senedd election and now sits in opposition.

The party gave the funding a cautious welcome.

Lynne Neagle, Welsh Labour’s spokesperson for children, education and lifelong learning, welcomed the news that Wrexham would offer free childcare to all two-year-olds, and said she hoped more councils would follow.

She said the previous Welsh Labour government had worked to expand Flying Start provision across Wales, and that it was “great to see the government commit to our manifesto pledge and continue this work.”

But she said questions remained. “We await further information on the government’s supplementary budget, but as it stands there are still many unanswered questions around the funding commitments,” she said.

Flying Start is the Welsh Government’s flagship early-years programme, offering childcare, parenting support and health visiting to families with young children.

Funded childcare for two-year-olds is being expanded in phases, with the latest cash intended to widen access ahead of the next academic year.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Swansea becomes second area in Wales to offer Flying Start childcare to all two-year-olds
How the city reached the milestone in February.

Reform members split in childcare row as Plaid policy ‘could cost £710m’
The Senedd debate that descended into confusion.

South west Wales politicians take key roles in first Plaid Cymru cabinet
How Sioned Williams became Deputy First Minister.

Free childcare scheme to expand across Swansea says council
What the funded hours mean for two- and three-year-olds in the city.

But that's the Tech Bros plan surely? They want our kids as broken and lonely as they are?

https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-toys-could-weaken-parent-child-bond-anxious-generation-author-2026-6

#TechBros #AI #AIToys #Technology #Childcare #Parenting #JonathanHaidt #TEDTalk

A true American patriot would never sue the US gov.'t as a sitting president. Dead giveaway - he's an absolute POS:
https://apnews.com/article/trump-treasury-irs-lawsuit-tax-whistleblower-c710244db618b066f3070a65e75820a5
#trump
#cmdrbonespurs
#trumpstein
#donold
#trumpsteinclass
#trumpcrimefamily
#inflation
#taxation
#stagflation
#uspol
#uspolitics
#war
#medicare
#medicaid
#childcare
#daycare
#reproductiverights
#allpowertothepeople

#trump #cmdrbonespurs #trumpstein #donold #trumpsteinclass #trumpcrimefamily #inflation #taxation #stagflation #uspol #uspolitics #war #medicare #medicaid #childcare #daycare #reproductiverights #allpowertothepeople #nopowertothepigs #eattherich

Trump Says It Out Loud: GOP Prioritizes War Over Healthcare, Childcare, and Survival

Trump openly dismisses healthcare and childcare as scams, revealing a GOP agenda that prioritizes war over people and shifts the burden to struggling states.

Trump Says It Out Loud: GOP Prioritizes War Over Healthcare, Childcare, and Survival

Trump openly dismisses healthcare and childcare as scams, revealing a GOP agenda that prioritizes war over people and shifts the burden to struggling states.

Trump Says It Out Loud: GOP Prioritizes War Over Healthcare, Childcare, and Survival

Trump openly dismisses healthcare and childcare as scams, revealing a GOP agenda that prioritizes war over people and shifts the burden to struggling states.

Trump Says It Out Loud: GOP Prioritizes War Over Healthcare, Childcare, and Survival

Trump openly dismisses healthcare and childcare as scams, revealing a GOP agenda that prioritizes war over people and shifts the burden to struggling states.

Trump Says It Out Loud: GOP Prioritizes War Over Healthcare, Childcare, and Survival

Trump openly dismisses healthcare and childcare as scams, revealing a GOP agenda that prioritizes war over people and shifts the burden to struggling states.

Um, so, make #FamilyPlanning and #Abortions illegal, force women to give birth, take away affordable health care, and then freeze #Childcare funds! As I've said before, #ProBirth is NOT #ProLife!

‘Scorched-Earth Attack’: Trump Admin Cuts Off Childcare Funds to All States

https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-freezes-childcare-funds

Well, here's a good use of #AI. Now, let's make it so!!! This is the #GiantLeap we all need to survive!

I Asked #ChatGPT What Would Happen If #Billionaires Paid Taxes at the Same Rate as the #WorkingClass

Story by Laura Beck
10/23/2025

Excerpts:

What That Money Could Actually Buy

"To put these numbers in perspective, ChatGPT explained what this kind of revenue could fund. Even the conservative estimate of $500 billion per year could pay for transformative programs.

"That amount could cover free public #college tuition, universal pre-K programs, massive #infrastructure investments and a huge #healthcare expansion. It could fund comprehensive #ChildCare support and #FoodAssistance programs.

"The AI emphasized that we’re talking about enough money to fundamentally change how the government operates and what services it can provide."

The Global Ripple Effects

"ChatGPT pointed out that if major economies like the United States started taxing billionaires at working-class rates, it could encourage similar moves worldwide.

"This might lead to reduced global tax avoidance, more coordinated international tax policies and pressure on tax havens to reform their systems.

"The AI said this could create a positive cycle where it becomes harder for the ultra-wealthy to avoid paying their fair share anywhere in the world."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/taxes/i-asked-chatgpt-what-would-happen-if-billionaires-paid-taxes-at-the-same-rate-as-the-working-class/ar-AA1MvUbH?ocid=winp2fptaskbarhoverent&cvid=68f8fc63cdb74260a0e3a2a67034177b&ei=5

#World3 #SolarPunk #PayYourFairShare #Billionaires #TaxTheRich #UltraWealthy #NoTaxHavens #SocietalChange #ShareTheWealth #SolarPunkSunday

Some pointers from "The Eye of Every Storm - #Anarchist Response to Hurricane Helene"

#CrimethInc, 2024-11-13

"At the end of September 2024, western North Carolina and the surrounding states experienced 30 inches of rainfall over two days when an unnamed storm collided with Hurricane Helene over the mountains of Southern Appalachia. The resulting catastrophe laid waste to the entire region. At a time when #misinformation, rising #authoritarianism, and disasters exacerbated by industrially-produced climate change are creating a feedback loop of escalating crisis, it’s crucial to understand #DisasterResponse as an integral part of community defense and strategize about how this can play a part in movements for liberation. In the following reflection, a local anarchist involved in longstanding disaster response efforts in #Appalachia recounts the lessons that they have learned over the past six weeks and offers advice about how to prepare for the disasters to come.

"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that Hurricane Helene poured 40 trillion gallons of water on the region. This caused an estimated 1800 landslides; it damaged over 160 municipal water and sewer systems, at least 6000 miles of roads, more than 1000 bridges and culverts, and an estimated 126,000 homes. There have been over 230 confirmed deaths across six states with many still missing.

"The entire region was completely cut off from the outside world for a day or more, with all major roads shut down by landslides, collapsed bridges, and downed trees. Water, power, internet and cell service all went down within hours of the hurricane arriving, and remained down for days or, in some areas, weeks. There are still communities that will likely not have electricity for another three months because the roads that the power company would use no longer exist. Six weeks into this disaster, there are still tens of thousands of people who lack access to drinkable water. Not only have thousands of homes been wiped off the map—in many cases, the land they rested on no longer exists. Massive landslides have scoured canyons 30 feet deep, exposing bedrock that has not seen the light of day for tens of thousands of years. The torrential floods moved so much earth and caused so many rivers to change course that scientists have designated the hurricane a 'geological event.'

"In response, a beautiful web of mutual aid networks has emerged, saving countless lives by bringing in #EssentialSupplies, providing #MedicalCare, setting up neighborhood #WaterDistribution centers, #SolarChargingStations, #SatelliteInternetHubs, free #kitchens, free #childcare, and more. Name a need and there are folks out here who have self-organized to meet it. We share these lessons we have learned in hopes of helping others to prepare for similar situations, aiming to increase our capacity to build autonomous infrastructure for the long haul.

Start Preparing Now

"There is no time like the present to get organized.

"Our mutual aid group has been around for almost eight years. Within 72 hours of the floodwaters receding, we had a functioning mutual aid hub and were mobilizing folks to check on missing people and #ChainsawCrews to cut people out of their homes and open up roads. We were only able to do these things because we had already put in the work in our community to build the trust and relationships that are so vital in times of crisis.

"While we are a small group, we have an extensive network of friends and allies that has grown throughout years of smaller-scale mutual aid and organizing efforts. The best way to prepare for a disaster is not to stockpile supplies, but to build trust in your community and nurture a healthy web of relationships. The best way to accomplish this is to start doing mutual aid projects in your community before an acute crisis arises. This will give you practice operating as a group and organizing logistics, and it will also connect you with others you wouldn’t otherwise meet and show them that they can count on you. Because of the work we had already put in, when the crisis hit, people turned to us and spread the word that we are a good group to funnel supplies and money through. You can only build that kind of reputation by putting in the work now.

Communications

"One of the biggest initial challenges we faced was that most means of communication went offline for between 24 hours and several weeks, depending on where you lived. That includes #landlines, #CellPhones, and internet. We can’t stress enough the importance of having multiple back-up options in place to be ready for a situation like this. First of all, make sure you have a place and time established in advance where folks know they can find each other in the event of a disaster. This is probably a good idea even if communications don’t go offline—nothing beats face-to-face communication.

"Satellite internet was invaluable during the first couple of weeks. For some particularly hard-hit communities, it remains the only means of communication six weeks into this disaster. Unfortunately, #Starlink, which is owned by the white supremacist Elon Musk, has proven to be the most useful and the easiest to set up in a disaster scenario. We know from past experience that he is eager to suppress social movements that use his companies’ services. There are other companies that provide satellite internet, but it tends to be slower, with significant data limits. These are generally not mobile systems and would be challenging to set up in the middle of a disaster.

"Don’t forget that you will need a source of electricity such as a generator or solar power to make satellite internet work.

"Radios, especially ham radios, are another important means of communication that should be arranged in advance with people who already know how to use them. Our mountainous terrain limits the distance that radios can broadcast, but it would still have been helpful if we had possessed ham radios.

Getting Organized

"Grassroots disaster relief is no longer the exclusive province of church groups and small bands of autonomous mutual aid groups. The notion has gone mainstream since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when so many people discovered that their neighbors were all they had to count on. At this point, well-organized and well-resourced groups of every stripe are prepared to mobilize quickly—from reactionary right-leaning groups like the Cajun Navy and to networks of volunteer helicopter pilots, not to mention radical groups like Mutual Aid Disaster Relief. Beyond these specific groups, more people understand how to self-organize now. Within three to five days of the flood waters receding, you couldn’t drive more than ten minutes without running into a #DIY #ReliefHub or water station in someone’s front yard, church, or gas station parking lot. It would not be an overstatement to say that within a week, western North Carolina had the highest concentration of four-wheelers, all-terrain vehicles, and dirt bikes in the world, as people poured in from all over the South and beyond to help with search and rescue and to get supplies out to cut-off communities.

"Most of these hubs were truly #grassroots, with no formal organization behind them. This is an overwhelmingly positive development, but it does not come without challenges. The chief problems were redundancy of effort and lack of coordination between relief hubs, road clearing crews, and people doing #SupplyRuns, search and rescue, and wellness checks. The sooner you can develop relationships and good communication systems with other hubs, the better, so you won’t have to be constantly reinventing the wheel.

"Creating an intake system for incoming volunteers and arranging for people to coordinate them is a huge piece of the puzzle. We had to turn away many offers of help in the first few weeks because we didn’t have a good system in place for fielding newcomers, especially those from out of town, nor could we guarantee that we could plug them into a project on any given day if they just showed up, despite the fact that there was always a mountain of work to do. Connecting volunteers to communities and individual homes that need medical care, mucking, gutting, and repairs requires an enormous amount of legwork on your part, not to mention building trust between you and the residents. You would do well to have someone in your group that has a deep love of spreadsheets."

Full article:
https://crimethinc.com/2024/11/13/after-the-hurricane-anarchist-disaster-response-in-appalachia
#MutualAid #ClimateChange #Preparedness #BuildingCommunity #CommunityPreparedness #CommunityDefense #Polycrisis #HamRadios

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These people want you to have as many kids as possible while trying to make it so that you can never #retire, afford #childCare, take leave from work, or so much as take a #sickDay. And this is what they want to impose on the whole of society.

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