KATRINA: WHY CHILDREN ARE SEPARATED???

WHAT KIND OF EVACUATION OR RELIEF SYSTEM WOULD SEPARATE CHILDREN FROM MOTHERS ---- AND NOW SEPARATE FAMILIES TO MULTIPLE STATES????

Heard tonight there remains 1200 children still not reunited with their parents. The QUESTION no one seems to be asking is WHY they were separated in the first place. One might assume that some of the separations were caused by children being with other family members and caretakers. However, there are more and more stories being told that children were separated at the time of evacuation or relocation---Infants, disabled children, sick children, small children not even allowed to stay with their mothers. Now these children are lost!

How did this happen ?

Doesn't this suggest that our emergency response system has no provisions for tracking where they are sending minor children?

Or is it just another example of poor judgment? Did someone forget?

It's hard to imagine a good reason that a 24 month old would be taken without its mother and then lost by government negligence --- just a small oversight in the planning to make us feel safe?

Children Separated from Parents at Katrina Shelter
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — In the rush to evacuate people from the storm-ravaged New Orleans area, at least two dozen children have been separated from their parents in Louisiana, according to the state social services department.

Some children and parents also have been separated and sent to neighboring states in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and as the evacuation continues officials expect that number to grow larger, according to Marketa Garner Gautreau, an assistant secretary with the social services office.

"As people have been pushed onto buses and jumped onto buses, they've gotten separated from their families," Gautreau said.

Other children needed medical care and their parents couldn't get airlifted with them, she said, pledging that all children separated from parents are being well-taken care of with about five social services volunteers to each child.

"We are going to reunite these children and their families," Gautreau said.

NOW 1200 ARE STILL LOST? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

Just tonight I heard it reported that families are also being sent to three or four different states, separating them far from each other.

WHY WOULD THIS BE CHOSEN AT A TIME WHEN FAMILY IS ALL MANY PEOPLE HAVE LEFT?

Imagine, if this is the way our own citizens are treated, how do we treat others around the world?

Where is the leadership judgment?

Debbe Kennedy
Founder, Global Dialogue Center

Comments

[Aaron]

Here's a few more questions to ask?

What kind of responsible adult keeps their child in the path of a Category 5 hurricane?

And if they had no means of leaving,

What kind of Mayor doesn't provide a means to evacuate people from his city who he knows are not able to leave on their own?

[debbe kennedy]

Aaron,
I agree.

There is plenty of blame to go around. Still feel there is a piece that is uniquely separated from these issues that belongs to BUSH. His decision to put five political appointees/buddies in key positions is a decision he owns. No finger-pointing there. The implications of this poor judgment resulted in the US being unprepared to respond. It resulted in countless, needless deaths, etc and threatens our national security by exposing this vulnerable and incompetence. If one says they take responsibility, they also should be willing to accept its consequences, yes?

I welcome your thoughts on this to see if you see something I don't.

Debbe

[bluetooth headphones]

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