Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence Program: What Healthcare Organizations Should Know
Disasters can place significant pressure on healthcare systems, particularly when large numbers of pediatric patients require specialized medical care. Preparing for these situations requires coordinated planning, pediatric medical surge capacity, trained healthcare professionals, and strong regional healthcare coordination.
The Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence (PEDs COE) Program Cooperative Agreement is a federal funding opportunity administered by the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The program is intended to establish four Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence that can strengthen pediatric disaster-care capabilities, preparedness planning, healthcare coordination, workforce competency, and regional pediatric readiness.
With $24 million in total program funding, the opportunity represents a significant federal investment in pediatric disaster preparedness and response.
Grant at a Glance
| Grant Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Funding Opportunity Number | EP-U3R-26-001 |
| Agency | Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) |
| Program | Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence |
| Total Program Funding | $24,000,000 |
| Expected Awards | 4 |
| Funding Instrument | Cooperative Agreement |
| Cost Sharing / Matching | No |
| Eligible Applicants | Public or private hospitals and corporate health systems |
| Application Deadline | August 31, 2026 |
| Assistance Listing | 93.889 |
| Opportunity Category | Discretionary |
| Category of Funding Activity | Health |
The funding opportunity does not specify an award minimum or maximum in the Grants.gov summary. Applicants should review the complete Notice of Funding Opportunity for detailed budget and funding information.
What Is the Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence Program?
The Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence Program aims to strengthen the ability of healthcare systems and regions to prepare for and respond to disasters involving pediatric patients.
The program will support four Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence with a focus on:
- Developing coordinated pediatric disaster-care capabilities.
- Strengthening pediatric disaster preparedness plans.
- Improving healthcare system coordination related to pediatric medical surge.
- Enhancing statewide and regional medical surge capacity for pediatric patients.
- Increasing and maintaining healthcare professional competency through standardized training.
- Enhancing situational awareness of pediatric disaster-care capabilities and capacity.
- Assessing regional pediatric readiness.
The program supports sustained pediatric preparedness and regional capability rather than focusing solely on response to an individual emergency.
Why Pediatric Disaster Preparedness Matters
Pediatric patients may have different medical, staffing, equipment, and care needs during emergencies. When a disaster results in a sudden increase in pediatric patients, healthcare organizations may need to activate additional resources and coordinate with other providers and regional partners.
Effective pediatric disaster preparedness therefore involves more than maintaining an emergency response plan.
Healthcare organizations need to consider:
- Pediatric medical surge capacity.
- Availability of appropriate pediatric services.
- Coordination across healthcare organizations.
- Workforce preparedness and training.
- Regional pediatric resources and capabilities.
- Situational awareness of pediatric readiness.
The PEDs COE Program addresses these areas through a coordinated approach to pediatric disaster preparedness and response.
What Are the Program's Key Priorities?
1. Coordinated Pediatric Disaster Care
The program seeks to develop coordinated pediatric disaster-care capabilities that can support pediatric patient care during disasters.
This includes strengthening coordination among healthcare providers and improving healthcare systems' ability to respond to pediatric medical needs during emergencies.
2. Pediatric Medical Surge Capacity
Disasters can create sudden increases in demand for pediatric services.
The program aims to strengthen statewide and regional medical surge capacity so healthcare systems are better positioned to manage increased pediatric demand.
3. Healthcare Professional Training
Healthcare professionals require appropriate knowledge and skills to respond to pediatric emergencies.
The program includes developing and delivering a standardized training program designed to increase and maintain healthcare professional competency.
4. Regional Pediatric Readiness
Preparedness depends on understanding the capabilities and capacity available across a region.
The program seeks to enhance situational awareness of pediatric disaster-care capabilities and assess regional pediatric readiness.
5. Healthcare System Coordination
Pediatric disaster response may involve multiple hospitals, healthcare providers, and regional partners.
Strengthening coordination across healthcare systems is therefore an important component of the program, particularly when managing pediatric medical surge.
Areas of Pediatric Disaster Care
The funding opportunity identifies a specific focus on managing pediatric care related to trauma and infectious diseases, among the areas addressed by the program.
Applicants should review the complete Notice of Funding Opportunity for the full scope of clinical focus areas, program requirements, and expected activities.
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
Eligibility is limited to one or more public or private hospitals and/or corporate health systems.
For purposes of this funding opportunity, a corporate health system is defined as an organized, coordinated, and collaborative network that:
- Links healthcare providers through common ownership or contract.
- Integrates providers across economic, noneconomic, and clinical domains.
- Provides a coordinated continuum of services.
- Serves a particular patient population or community.
- Maintains clinical and fiscal accountability for clinical outcomes and population health.
- Has systems in place to manage and improve outcomes and health status.
Standalone technology companies are not identified as eligible applicants under the published eligibility criteria.
How Much Funding Is Available?
The program provides $24 million in total funding and anticipates four awards.
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning the federal agency maintains an active role in implementing and overseeing the funded program.
The opportunity specifies no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
The Grants.gov summary does not identify an award minimum or maximum. Organizations should refer to the complete NOFO for detailed funding and budget requirements.
What Should Eligible Organizations Consider Before Applying?
Healthcare systems considering this opportunity should assess their existing pediatric disaster capabilities against the program's objectives.
Pediatric Disaster Preparedness
Organizations should evaluate existing pediatric disaster preparedness plans and identify areas where capabilities may need strengthening.
Medical Surge Capacity
Applicants should consider how their healthcare system would respond to a significant increase in pediatric patient demand during a disaster.
Regional Coordination
Organizations should demonstrate their ability to coordinate with relevant healthcare partners and contribute to regional pediatric readiness.
Workforce Competency
Applicants should consider how standardized training can support healthcare professionals involved in pediatric disaster response.
Situational Awareness
Organizations should assess how they identify, monitor, and understand pediatric disaster-care capabilities and capacity across their region.
Technology and Pediatric Disaster Preparedness
Technology can serve as one component of a healthcare organization's broader preparedness and care-coordination infrastructure.
Digital systems may provide visibility into referrals, patient transitions, connected services, and follow-up across healthcare organizations. However, technology should complement—not replace—the core elements of disaster preparedness, including clinical planning, workforce competency, medical surge capacity, and regional coordination.
For healthcare organizations evaluating their technology infrastructure, the key question is whether existing systems provide the visibility and coordination needed to support broader operational and preparedness objectives.
Where GridSocial Fits In
The Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence Program gives eligible healthcare organizations an opportunity to strengthen their pediatric disaster preparedness, medical surge capacity, regional coordination, and healthcare infrastructure. As part of these broader efforts, organizations can consider digital solutions that support connected care and coordination.
GridSocial can complement these initiatives by providing closed-loop referral management that helps care teams coordinate referrals, track follow-up, and maintain visibility through resolution. This can support stronger coordination across healthcare providers, community organizations, and other connected services.
For eligible hospitals and corporate health systems looking to enhance their digital care-coordination capabilities, GridSocial can be considered as one technology option within a broader preparedness and coordination strategy. Organizations can evaluate its capabilities alongside their existing systems and operational priorities to determine where it can add value.
This approach allows healthcare organizations to align their technology investments with their individual preparedness goals while using GridSocial to support referral visibility, coordinated workflows, and follow-up across connected care networks.
Key Dates
The funding opportunity was posted on July 30, 2026, and the latest version was updated on August 12, 2026.
Application Deadline: August 31, 2026
Organizations considering an application should review the latest version of the Notice of Funding Opportunity and complete all required application steps before the stated deadline.
The funding opportunity is available through Grants.gov under EP-U3R-26-001.
Key Takeaways
The Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence Program provides federal funding to strengthen pediatric disaster preparedness and response capabilities across healthcare systems and regions.
Key points include:
- $24 million in total program funding.
- Four expected awards.
- Eligible applicants include qualifying public or private hospitals and corporate health systems.
- The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.
- No cost-sharing or matching is required.
- The program focuses on pediatric disaster care, medical surge capacity, workforce competency, healthcare coordination, situational awareness, and regional pediatric readiness.
- The application deadline is August 31, 2026.
Healthcare organizations should evaluate technology separately from the grant's eligibility and program requirements. Digital care-coordination tools may be considered as part of broader infrastructure planning where they align with organizational needs.
FAQ
The Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence Program is a federal cooperative agreement opportunity administered by the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to strengthen pediatric disaster preparedness, medical surge capacity, healthcare coordination, workforce competency, situational awareness, and regional pediatric readiness.
The program provides $24 million in total funding and anticipates four awards.
Eligible applicants include one or more qualifying public or private hospitals and corporate health systems, as defined by the funding opportunity.
The application deadline for the Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence Program is August 31, 2026.
The program focuses on coordinated pediatric disaster care, pediatric medical surge capacity, healthcare professional training, regional pediatric readiness, healthcare system coordination, and situational awareness of pediatric disaster-care capabilities and capacity.
Digital technology can support broader preparedness and care-coordination strategies by improving visibility into referrals, patient transitions, connected services, follow-up, and coordination across healthcare organizations.
GridSocial can be considered one technology option within a broader preparedness and care-coordination strategy. Its closed-loop referral capabilities help care teams coordinate referrals, track follow-up, and maintain visibility through resolution across connected care networks.
Conclusion
The Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence Program is designed to strengthen pediatric disaster preparedness and response capabilities at the healthcare system, regional, and statewide levels.
For eligible hospitals and corporate health systems, the program provides an opportunity to advance pediatric medical surge capacity, workforce competency, healthcare coordination, situational awareness, and regional pediatric readiness.
Organizations considering an application should ensure that their proposed activities directly address the objectives and requirements established by ASPR and the published Notice of Funding Opportunity.
Technology can complement these efforts where appropriate. Healthcare organizations advancing their digital infrastructure may evaluate care-coordination solutions as part of their broader technology strategy, based on their specific operational requirements.
Sources
Editorial Note
This article is provided for informational purposes only. Grant amounts, eligibility requirements, program priorities, application deadlines, and funding conditions may change. EP-U3R-26-001 is a published funding opportunity with an application deadline of August 31, 2026. Organizations should review the latest ASPR Notice of Funding Opportunity and Grants.gov announcement before preparing or submitting an application.