This chapter reviews the importance of maintaining a child and adolescent developmental perspective. Studies of the biological, psychological, and behavioral impact of natural disasters on children and adolescents have been growing steadily, with earthquakes and hurricanes being the most widely investigated disasters. A modern public mental health approach to the postdisaster recovery of children, adolescents, adults, and families recognizes the importance of conceptualizing stages of disaster response. A three-tier model for providing postdisaster mental health interventions for children and families includes general psychosocial support to a broad population, specialized interventions for those with severe, persistent distress and impairment, and specialized treatment for high-risk cases that need more intensive psychiatric care. Clinical evaluation and intervention outcome data involve the rigorous clinical evaluation of affected individuals, and are used to examine the contribution of interventions to the course of recovery.