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Save the Children Calls for Restoring and Improving Early Child Care in New Orleans
Agency recommends greater attention to the educational needs of young children
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Washington, DC (August 1, 2006) — Nearly a year after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast child care, early childhood development programs and education resources, are still severely lacking in New Orleans, according to a report released today by Save the Children and Mississippi State University.
Recognizing that child care facilities and schools are vital to the recovery of communities, Save the Children commissioned Mississippi State University to assess current child care capacity and needs in Orleans Parish, La.
According to the assessment, approximately 54 percent of neighborhoods in Orleans Parish have lost all licensed child care centers. The study also found that:
- Only 52 of the 266 child care centers licensed and operating before Hurricane Katrina are open. More than half (56 percent) of the closed facilities are expected to remain shuttered;
- Approximately one-third of the 30 Head Start or Early Head Start programs in the area before the hurricane are providing services for children;
- Four planning districts — the French Quarter, New Aurora/English Turn, Lower Ninth Ward and Venetian Isles have no open elementary schools.
“Children and families need immediate help. Without access to child care facilities, many parents cannot rebuild their lives and return to work,” said Mark Shriver, vice president and managing director of U.S. programs at Save the Children. “This report illustrates that child care is desperately needed in the New Orleans area for families, their children and their community.”
Save the Children recommends that:
- Recovery plans for Orleans Parish include support and assistance to child care facilities that are already open or are planning to reopen;
- Federal, state and local funds be made available to help finance the restoration of child care facilities so that families can return to their communities and to work;
- Child care facilities receive technical assistance and professional development designed to bring the centers to good or excellent quality, as defined by the state’s quality rating system;
- Planning for future disasters recognizes that child care is a critical service and its restoration should be included in national disaster plans.
“As we prepare for this year’s hurricane season, it is important that the unique needs of children are considered,” said Shriver. “Emergency planners should work with child-focused organizations to design response systems that protect children before, during and after a disaster, which includes the provision of care for young children.”
Learn More About Save the Children's Response in the Gulf Coast
Download the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Child Care Assessment Report
Donate to Save the Children's Gulf Coast Hurricanes Recovery Fund
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