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March 2009Vol. 10, No. 2Children, Law, and Disasters

The hurricanes of 2005 revealed many gaps in emergency planning and services for children and families affected by disasters. In the aftermath, policymakers, service providers, researchers, and others have offered thoughtful and concrete plans to meet the needs of children and families who become victims of future disasters.

Children, Law, and Disasters: What We Have Learned From Katrina and the Hurricanes of 2005 is a compilation of research, analysis, and lessons learned for child welfare organizations and other professionals. The book is a collaboration between the American Bar Association (ABA) and the University of Houston Law Center, and the chapters grew out of a 2007 Houston conference, "Children and the Law After Katrina." The authors stress the opportunity and need to develop effective policies for children in child welfare, education, justice, housing, and other systems.

Chapters cover such topics as:

  • Information sharing and emergency coordination for children in foster care
  • How disasters further complicate the lives of foster children
  • Disasters and children's psychological risk
  • Providing an equitable education to children after a disaster
  • Juvenile justice after Hurricane Katrina
  • Rebuilding schools and communities

The book is available for purchase on the ABA website:

www.abanet.org/abastore/index.cfm?section=main&fm=Product.AddToCart&pid=3490002