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Rebuilding After Katrina
Phase II: Recovery

Casinos on the Mississippi coast began reconstruction as soon as possible, but without reopened child care facilities, the casinos and other employers in the area would be hard-pressed to get employees back to work.

Volunteers in the Mississippi early childhood field rallied immediately after Katrina to raise funds and collect materials for young children living in shelters and for damaged child care facilities. The MSU Extension Service spearheaded preparation of 450 gift bags for young children in temporary shelters, seeking donations of age-appropriate toys and books, enclosing tip sheets for parents on the emotional needs of traumatized children, and delivering the bags to shelters. (See “Donated Materials.”)

Immediate aid to children and families in shelters was essential, but reopening child care facilities was crucial for helping parents get back to work. At the same time that ECI assisted in damage assessments, it began developing a plan for repairing the early childhood infrastructure in the Katrina region, consulting the Office of the Governor and state agency officials, early childhood specialists at the MSU Extension Service, and the nonprofit community in Mississippi and nationwide. The plan had one goal – to help child care programs in the disaster area reopen as rapidly as was safe – and several key provisions:

• Give priority to licensed early childhood facilities
• Start rebuilding in less damaged areas and work toward more damaged areas
• Tie donations of materials and repairs to participation in professional development
   activities
• Provide mental health support for children, parents, and caregivers
• Collect only new, developmentally appropriate materials and furnishings
• Pitch a big tent: Involve as many partners as possible
• Communicate frequently with partners and governmental agencies

Phase II Continued

 

 

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