Resources for Families Affected by Hurricane Katrina  

Family Reunification

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was designated by the Department of Justice to assist children who are searching for their families, as well as help families/caregivers who are looking for their children. Call the Katrina Missing Persons Hotline at 1-888-544-5475, or go to missingkids.com.

The American Red Cross brings its expertise in family tracing to assist loved ones separated by Hurricane Katrina. Call 1-877-LOVED-1S (1-877-568-3317) or go to Katrina Safe. For more information on emergency assistance, see their main Web site.

The federal government’s “FirstGov” site provides an extensive list of resources for those affected by Katrina, including family reunification and a list of people reported safe and their location. Go to the FirstGov site on Hurricane Katrina Recovery.

Child Welfare

The National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning provides links to websites on assistance for children, including links to information on fostering and adopting displaced children, and state agency websites. Check their Web page on disaster relief.

Child Care (from the Child Care Bureau at DHHS)

Child Care Aware - Refers families to local Resource & Referral (R&R) agencies for help finding child care in their area and information on financial assistance to pay for child care. 1-800-424-2246

Head Start/Early Head Start Programs - for low-income families with children up to five years of age.
1-866-763-6481

Donations and Volunteering

The national network of local agencies of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB/MRS) and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) are assisting families displaced by Hurricane Katrina by providing emergency assistance and help with relocation. Please see the regularly updated Web sites set up by our two national offices for more information on breaking news, emergency assistance, and how you can help: USCCB and LIRS.