title: Perceptions of the utility and acceptability of an emergency child minding service for health staff.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tropical Cyclone Yasi in North Queensland activated the disaster management plans at The Townsville Hospital, including the establishment of an emergency child minding service to facilitate the return of staff to work.
  
  
  METHODS
  This report describes the establishment of this service and the results of brief electronic surveys that were distributed in the 2 weeks following the cyclone to gather feedback from staff who had placed their children in the care of the service (consumers), staff who had manned the service (staff), and allied health managers whose staff had manned the service (managers).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, approximately 94 episodes of care were provided by the child minding service. All consumers responded "'yes'" in answer to the question of whether the emergency child minding service facilitated their return to work in the immediate post-disaster period. The survey also identified that a lack of effective advertising may have prevented further uptake of the child minding service.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The provision of an emergency child minding service facilitated the return to work of health care staff immediately after Tropical Cyclone Yasi. More research is needed to understand the effect disaster type has on the uptake of a child minding service.
authors: 1College of Public Health,Medical and Veterinary Sciences,James Cook University,Townsville,Queensland,Australia.
authors: Jenine
authors: J
authors: Lawlor
authors: 1College of Public Health,Medical and Veterinary Sciences,James Cook University,Townsville,Queensland,Australia.
authors: Richard C
authors: RC
authors: Franklin
authors: 1College of Public Health,Medical and Veterinary Sciences,James Cook University,Townsville,Queensland,Australia.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Aitken
authors: 2Townsville Hospital and Health Services,Emergency Department,Townsville,Queensland,Australia.
authors: Bethany
authors: B
authors: Hooke
authors: 1College of Public Health,Medical and Veterinary Sciences,James Cook University,Townsville,Queensland,Australia.
authors: Jeremy
authors: J
authors: Furyk
authors: 1College of Public Health,Medical and Veterinary Sciences,James Cook University,Townsville,Queensland,Australia.
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002654:Child Care / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004190:Disasters; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D011793:Queensland
keywords: emergency responders