Landrieu bill aids children during declared disasters
WASHINGTON — Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu announced legislation Thursday expected to more comprehensively deal with children who are victims of disasters.
The Child Safety, Care and Education Continuity Act of 2010 would be activated when 10 percent of students enrolled in public or private elementary schools are displaced for more than 60 days by a disaster declared by the president.
Landrieu noted that 370,000 children were displaced along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“It was extremely disruptive to say the least,” said Landrieu, who chairs the Senate subcommittee on disaster recovery.
The bill would authorize tuition reimbursement for displaced students, funding for host community schools and aid to disaster area schools to restart operations.
For college students, the bill would give the secretary of education the authority to waive or modify regulations on student financial assistance and other grants to higher education institutions within a disaster area.
The measure, which Landrieu said could be funded through existing programs, would also authorize counseling for pre-kindergarten students through Head Start agencies. The proposal would increase access to child-care services for disaster-affected families through block grants so parents can seek housing and employment opportunities.
Child-care centers would also have to come up with emergency plans for evacuation and reunification.
The bill would also allow doctors to apply for reimbursement and increase their willingness to treat out-of-state evacuees.
Ernie Allen of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children hailed the legislation as overdue.
“Children are not merely small adults,” Allen said. “They have special needs.”
If you enjoy Advocate News coverage why not get it first, directly in your inbox? Sign up today for our Daily Digest newsletter and get the news delivered to you!
 | ||||
| Most Popular | Most Emailed | Hot Topics | ||
