Human Services News

Resiliency Is Not Enough: Young Children and the Rebuilding of New Orleans

The trauma and displacement of Katrina could cause lasting harm to young children, undermining their emotional security and school readiness. Poor children - especially those previously shaken by family instability or neighborhood violence - are particularly vulnerable. The children of New Orleans, already disproportionately poor and starting school deeply disadvantaged, can ill afford further damage.

Children can be astonishingly resilient, but not without steady emotional support and a return to relative stability and security. Parents are central to children's recovery, yet in the aftermath of Katrina, parents' own trauma and uncertainty compromise their ability to help.