Federal Action Needed to Ensure States Have Plans to Safeguard Children in the Child Welfare System Displaced by Disasters

July 2006 Federal Action Needed to Ensure States Have Plans to Safeguard Children in the Child Welfare System Displaced by Disasters According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, there were 48 federally declared disasters in 2005. Two of these disasters - Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, resulted in a prolonged interruption of child welfare services and the dispersion of thousands of children in Louisiana's foster care system to 19 states. Of the 29 states and Puerto Rico that experienced a federally declared disaster in 2005, eight reported having a written child welfare disaster plan. As a result, there has been growing . . .