Today, four national organizations held a press conference to expose the unmet needs of children affected by Hurricane Katrina and to call on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish an office which will be responsible for anticipating and meeting the unique needs of children in times of emergency and recovery.
The four national organizations, with affiliates throughout the country, include Voices for America's Children (Voices), the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) and the National Mental Health Association (NMHA).
"Our nation has endured two horrific disasters in the last five years, September 11th and Hurricane Katrina," said Tamara Lucas Copeland, president of Voices.
"We have learned we must be better prepared to protect our children during the immediacy of a natural or manmade disaster, but also be prepared to address their long-term needs.
For some, Katrina was a fast moving storm that lasted only 24 hours.
Press conference speakers exposed the overall lack of infrastructure and coordination of relief efforts to displaced children across the country and addressed the lack of preparedness to assess unmet child care, child welfare and mental health needs of affected children.
According to NACCRRA, much of the child care infrastructure in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast was destroyed by Katrina.
During today's press conference, Dr. Raymond Crowel of NMHA addressed the lack of appropriate services and resources to support children affected by Katrina.
"The psychological impact of Katrina is unparalleled to any disaster America has yet experienced.
According to CWLA, there is an immense need to improve communication and collaboration among the many agencies that serve these children.
National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies is the national network of more than 850 child care resource and referral centers located in every state and most communities across the U.S. CCR&R centers help families, child care providers and communities find, provide and plan for affordable, quality child care.
The National Mental Health Association is the country's oldest and largest non-profit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness.
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