Adoption Institute Advises All to Help Children First After Hurricane
All children from birth to 18 years old displaced by Katrina are eligible to receive free vaccines through the federally-run Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, regardless of whether they are staying at shelters, hotels, or with family and friends and regardless of previous health insurance coverage status.
Connect for Kids has information and resources compiled on their website. Connect is an organization devoted to giving adults – parents, grandparents, guardians, educators, advocates, policymakers, elected officials, and others – the tools and information they need to work on behalf of children, youth, and families.
The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE), the National Association of the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY), and the National Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP) are coordinating efforts to help the state coordinators of homeless education, local homeless education liaisons, educators, administrators, and national and community agencies with enrolling children and youth in families displaced by Katrina in school and providing them services.
The Children’s Bureau sponsored a series of conference calls for child welfare directors, foster care and adoption managers, and administrators in September.
The American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) has issued a detailed memo on child welfare issues related to Katrina at aphsa.org/Katrina/.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has questions and answers on helping families impacted by hurricane disasters on their website.
The ABA Center on Children and the Law, working with their partners of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the National Council for State Courts, is planning to aid in legal and judicial system responses for the needs of children and families affected by the Katrina disaster.
The UCLA School Mental Health Project has links for providing a variety of resources and materials for use in crisis prevention and response on their site.
The National Foster Parent Association launched a clothing drive and relief fund to support foster families displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
The Connecticut Association of Foster and Adoptive Parents (CAFAP) is collecting funds to be used in support of foster care associations in Florida and Texas.
Child welfare organizations are receiving requests from individuals interested in providing foster care or adopting children affected by Hurricane Katrina.
