Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have significantly affected the education and health of children living in federally subsidized settings because of the storms, a study concludes.
“On the Edge: Children and Families Displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Face a Looming Medical and Mental Health Crisis” is available from The Children’s Health Fund.
Researchers from Columbia University in New York City surveyed 665 Louisiana households living in trailers, hotels, or other shelters subsidized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The survey, conducted in February, found that 21 percent of school-age children in those households were either not attending school, or had missed 10 or more days of school in the month prior to the survey. Five percent of children ages 6 to 11 and 13 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17 were not attending school at all, according to the study.
In addition, the researchers noted that behavioral and conduct problems were significantly higher among children from the households surveyed than they were, on average, for children in the region before the hurricanes hit, according to the survey and other data.