The Children of Katrina: Five Years Later

The year 2010 will mark an important milestone: the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Through photos, audio and video clips and thoroughly-reported copy my project, "The Children of Katrina: Five Years Later," would provide a status update on the youngest victims of the worst natural disaster in U.S. history, as it relates to health, education, housing, economics, crime and family in New Orleans, La. Some four heart-wrenchingly difficult years later, many children are struggling academically and behaviorally and suffering from extraordinarily high rates of illness, depression and mental health problems. Families are financially strapped, crime is dangerously high and income levels have plummeted dramatically in the wake of the recession. The maze of bureaucratic red tape that survivors continue to face has only exacerbated problems that, in many cases, were at epidemic levels prior to the storm. My audience is essentially anyone who cares about children, education, health, crime and public policy, particularly as it relates to Hurricane Katrina. This tragedy has resonated with Americans and individuals worldwide.