Chapter 7 › XIII.O.3–4 Host-State or Host-Tribe Evacuation and Sheltering; Childcare Services

What if another state shelters our evacuees, and is childcare for sheltered families eligible?

FEMA term

Host-state or host-tribe evacuation and sheltering; childcare services

Short answer

A host state or tribe sheltering another jurisdiction’s evacuees can be reimbursed through mutual aid, or directly by FEMA, which pays 100 percent of its eligible costs. The impacted state then repays the non-federal share. Licensed childcare supporting sheltered families is eligible too.

What FEMA requires

Only congregate sheltering by the host is eligible.
Direct FEMA funding requires that the impacted state requested help, the host accepts evacuees based on need without restriction, the host transmits a written agreement, and its governor or tribal chief executive signs the FEMA agreement.
Hosts can also recover employees’ regular time, unused shelter capacity they provided, certain law enforcement, transport and medical costs, and returning evacuees home.
Not eligible: waived state park fees for self-evacuees, and gas cards, vouchers, debit cards or cash to evacuees.
Childcare: licensed day care and before- and after-school care for sheltered families, including labor, facility, supplies and commodities, in congregate or non-congregate settings.

Documentation

Host-state agreements, evacuee intake and tracking records, insurance checks for medical and ambulance costs, and childcare attendance and cost records.

Watch out · Govstar practitioner advice

The impacted state can’t offset its share with the host state’s volunteer labor, so budget for the full non-federal share.

Govstar summarizes FEMA’s Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide in plain language and links to the official text. Govstar is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. This is general guidance, not legal advice.