When Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, its destruction was unprecedented. Save the Children began responding within days, focusing on children's well-being and quality of life and economic concerns. In the two and a half years that followed, Save the Children worked with families, communities, schools and local organizations to directly and indirectly serve over 190,000 Katrina-affected children and caregivers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Today, Save the Children continues to offer a menu of psychosocial programs for Gulf Coast children and caregivers. These programs use structured play and activity sessions to help children and caregivers strengthen resilience — the ability to “bounce back” — reestablish a sense of safety and normalcy, express their feelings and build positive relationships.

From September 2005 through December 2007, our Hurricane Katrina Response/Recovery Team:

• Supported 30,000 children and 1,400 adult caregivers through psychosocial programs, helping them build coping skills and a sense of safety and normalcy. The programs were conducted by 1,400 child-focused professionals we trained to conduct the programs and by Save the Children staff and ranged from in-depth programs to one-hour disaster preparedness and resilience-building workshops.
• Restored 37 Mississippi child care facilities damaged or destroyed by the storm and provided furniture, materials or small grants to help 17 child care centers in New Orleans reopen or stay open, serving 3,400 children in total. We are continuing three child care restoration projects in 2008.
• Worked in 10 temporary housing sites in Louisiana to help bring residents together, establish community spaces and create safer environments for children through our Safe and Protective Communities Project, serving 5,000 adults and 2,000 children living in the sites.
• Provided material, technical and financial support to after-school programs, summer camps and holiday break-time programs that served 23,000 children and helped rebuild four playgrounds.
• Established Safe Spaces — safe, designated play areas — and provided materials and supplies to children and families in the storm’s immediate aftermath.
• Indirectly reached thousands of parents, family members, and students of children and caregivers to whom we provided direct support.