Evacuations - Resources and Tips

During evacuations, the Global Community Liaison Office (GCLO) is the Department of State's main point of contact for evacuees, providing guidance on allowances, regulations, housing, education and employment for family members. GCLO coordinates with post management, regional bureaus and other offices to support the evacuated community. For questions about evacuations contact GCLOCrisisManagement@state.gov  

Contact for Department of State Direct Hire Evacuees: Comptroller Global Finance Services (CGFS) at GFSCSeaPackage@state.gov for clarification, assistance or specific questions related to your SEA application and payments.

Crisis Intake Form: The U.S. government is ready to help Americans leave the Middle East if you choose to take advantage of the options available. Please complete this crisis intake form so the Department of State can better assist you and provide you with timely updates: https://mytravel.state.gov/s/crisis-intake. If you have already completed the crisis intake form, please do not fill it out again. 

General AD/OD information

• USDH – No safe havens are being approved— you must come back to Washington, DC. This is required by statute.
• EFMs are approved to safe-haven anywhere in the United States.  If they want to safe-haven overseas, they must request this formally via an Action Memo to M.  It is not automatic and EFMs cannot go to the foreign location before it is approved.

Scroll down the page to see childcare, education, and other evacuation resources.

Please note that this is a compilation from responses shared by our community, not an endorsement by AAFSW.

Are we missing a resource? Please help us keep this list up to date. Contact us and we will add your link. This tool is for the community by the community - we count on you!

Evacuation Payments

Evacuation payments are made when employees/family member(s) are authorized or ordered to evacuate a foreign post. Evacuation payments consist of (1) a subsistence allowance to help cover the costs of lodging and meals; (2) local transportation allowance at the safehaven when a personally owned vehicle is not available; (3) an air freight replacement allowance if air freight is not shipped from post; and (4) a pet shipment and required quarantine allowance to assist with getting the family pet or pets out of and return to the foreign post of assignment. Subsistence amounts are based on the safehaven's per diem rate and the lodging calculation differs if occupying commercial or non-commercial quarters. Evacuation payments terminate no later than 180 days after the evacuation order is issued unless the evacuation order has been extended past the 180 day mark (rare) and an employee's account for 180 days of subsistence has not been reached.

Generally, the United States and non-foreign areas (the 50 United States, the District of Columbia,  territories, possessions, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) are designated as the official U.S.  safehaven.  When necessary, an official foreign safehaven may be designated.  Evacuees are required to go to the official U.S. or official foreign safehaven to receive evacuation benefits/allowances. An employee may request designation of an alternate foreign safehaven for special family needs but approval is not guaranteed. See DSSR sections 600 and 960 (Evacuation Payments Worksheet) and the Evacuation Manual available at each foreign post for more information.  The FAQs associated with the 2020 Global Authorized Departure have been moved to the end of the Evacuation FAQs in case they need to be referenced. 

Intranet-Only Links

• Posts in Evacuation Status Report 
• Frequently Asked Questions - Evacuations
• DS-0600 (07/2020) - Evacuation Payments Worksheet (myData/Intranet only)
• Worksheet to calculate Subsistence Expenses Allowance (SEA) claim. DSSR 960 also contains the Evacuation Payments Worksheet (available on both Intranet and Internet)
• DS-4095 (01/2022) - Subsistence Expense Allowance Application (SEA) (myData/Intranet only) to facilitate SEA payment processing for Department of  State employees and/or eligible family members.  To expedite processing: Forms may be emailed to GFSCSeaPackage@state.gov. 
• The DS-4095 and SEA PS DSSR Template have both been updated on Central Allotment Accounting (CAA) (sharepoint.com).

Childcare and Education Resources

• OBC Childcare in Washington

• Virginia Department of Social Services: Searchable database of vetted child-day-care providers.

• Childcare Virgina

• Northern Virginia schools: Information on local schools.

• GCLO childcare resources (from 2025)

• AAFSW list of childcare resources: This list has been compiled by our volunteers in good faith but is not an endorsement of any establishment on the list. If you have reasons to believe one should be removed from the list, or better yet, if you wish to supply additional resources, please send a message here.

Helpful Resources from GCLO

• School Enrollment Guidance: This will offer some guidance to parents who may need to enroll their child(ren) in DC area schools during AD/OD if virtual schooling is not available.
• Short Term Housing List: While GCLO cannot recommend any particular housing companies, this list contains some options used by previous evacuees for temporary accommodations while they are safe havening. They also honor per diem rates.

• AAFSW's Evacuation Resources
• Office of Allowances
• AFSA Extended Stay Housing Guide
• Finding Strength and Community in Uncertain Times: Article on strategies for federal employees.

Care In Times of Crisis

Please take care of yourself and your family if you are affected by emerging crises.

• Information Dissemination: The Global Community Liaison Office (GCLO) is always available to affected families through GCLOCrisisManagement@state.gov. They are coordinating with posts and disseminating all information that they can. They are scheduling calls to the community and are available by email at any time.
• Personal Care and Support: Reach out to CLO, RMO/P, and other colleagues who are there for you as your first and primary resource. For additional support, Employee Consultation Services (ECS) (email:  medecs@state.gov; phone:  202.235-7475, option 3) has a full range of resources and programs for employees and families needing support.
• Logistical Support: Your bureau and management team can assist with any needs related to travel logistics, per diem, etc.  If you’re unsure where to go, your CDO can help point you in the right direction!