Save the Children Mobilizes to Meet Kids’ Most Urgent Needs in Wake of Destructive Winter Storm Fern

National Leader for Protecting Children in Disasters to Deliver Emergency Funding Assistance to Hardest Hit Families in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee; Help Storm-Damaged Child Care Centers Recover  

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (Jan. 27, 2026) — With icy rain and harsh winter weather downing trees and powerlines this week – leaving hundreds of thousands without power in freezing conditions – Save the Children is working to meet the most urgent needs of children in areas hardest hit by Winter Storm Fern. 

The nonprofit’s emergency response team and local staff in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee are mobilizing to deliver critical emergency funding assistance to families most in need, to help them quickly cover urgent costs, including food and water, heating and warming supplies, and lost income due to the storm. The emergency aid will support families across the Mississippi Delta, Sevier County in Arkansas, and Dyer County in Tennessee.  

"Winter Storm Fern is not a routine winter storm. It’s a punishing, wide reaching storm that has upended children and families’ lives – shutting down heat, cutting off power and turning everyday life into a scramble for survival,” said James Orlando, managing director of U.S. emergencies for Save the Children. “In every disaster, it's the children and families who were already living on the edge who get pushed past it. They are the most vulnerable – and they need our help now. Save the Children is moving quickly to get emergency support to children and families who need it most, for groceries, power bills, and heating supplies."

In addition, Save the Children is assessing storm-damaged child-care centers in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee, and collaborating with local partners to support recovery – so children can get back to learning and caregivers can go back to work. 

"In times of emergency, children can begin to cope when they are able to reconnect with their peers and return to familiar routines," said Orlando. “That is why it is so important to get children back into child care as safely and as soon as possible. It is essential for them to stay engaged and focused on learning during this incredibly stressful time."

Save the Children has been helping America's children recover from major disasters since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, including last year’s catastrophic wildfires in California and destructive flooding in Washington. Save the Children has been working in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee for decades – leading early education programs in some of the most under-resourced rural communities. 

By contributing to the Children's Emergency Fund, you can help Save the Children protect kids in the United States when disasters like Winter Storm Fern strike. 

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