Louisiana Seeks 51 Foster Children Unaccounted For Since Storm

[Maddy McCall]

By AMY WOLD
[e-mail]
Advocate staff writer

More than six weeks after Hurricane Katrina, state officials continue to search for 51 foster children.


Marketa Garner Gautreau, assistant secretary of the Office of Community Services, said Monday that about 2,000 foster children were living in the areas affected by Katrina. About 75 percent of those children were located within the first two weeks after the storm.

Of the 51 foster children still unaccounted for, Gautreau said, 28 are from Orleans Parish, 17 are from Jefferson Parish and the rest are from a scattering of other parishes.

"Of course we've been fearful, but we've had no evidence that there's something sinister," Gautreau said. "We've just had no indication of that at all."

Gautreau said she believes the 51 children are living with families who lost everything and are dealing with life issues. "Getting to us just hasn't been the most important thing," she said.


More at:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/101105/new_children001.shtml

[ret5hd]

1. If they were serious about finding them...

Every network/cable news broadcast would start with a request that such families contact authorities, followed by a picture of each child.

[noonwitch]

2. They should have had some phone check-in line for foster parents

and for the biological parents to find out where their kids are and when they can visit.

Of course, foster parents evacuated the foster kids with them.

As I work in that field, I was thinking that we don't have any type of reporting system for situations like that.

[sasquatch]

3. Check the neverland ranch (seriously)

I've heard stories about Florida back in the 1960's and 1970's where pedophiles would lure young European and American children to turn them into sex slaves. They say they still find there bodies wheneve they drain a swamp or resivouir.

[mom cat]

4. If the children were still alive, the foster parents would have asked for

their monthly stipend by now. It is possible that the foster parents and their foster kids are no longer with us. :cry:

[pitohui]

5. i think so too, mom cat

:cry:

[mom cat]

6. i am sorry,

:hug: