Building kites, drawing, creating an on-line community—these are some of the ways that young survivors of Hurricane Katrina are expressing themselves as part of their healing process. Martha Pitts reports on art therapy programs that are helping kids rebound.

Among the many organizations that have stepped up to help youngsters traumatized and displaced by Hurricane Katrinia, the Houston-based Writers in the Schools program has sent writers to help evacuees work on personal essays and journals about their experience. Sharon Ferranti recounts her experience, in this story from Writers in the Schools.

Louisiana is one of the poorest states in the nation. But with a school superintendent who has pushed long and hard to build a quality preschool system, youngsters are showing impressive gains. Andrea Grazzini Walstrom reports on Cecil Picard and LA4.

It's a complaint of high school students everywhere: "What good is all this stuff I'm studying going to do me when I'm done with school?" In the New Orleans area, educators and business people are working together to create a clearer connection between the worlds of school and work. Cecilia Garcia spoke with Susan Burge, a leader in the effort.

The mission of CASA of the 18th JDC is to recruit and train community volunteers to be a powerful voice for all abused and neglected children in the court system.

Agenda for Children is Louisiana's statewide child advocacy agency. Its mission is to make Louisiana a state in which all children can thrive, by ensuring that the basic needs of children and familie

Mathematica gives good marks in its report to Congress on the State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIPs) that offer health care coverage to children in families with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level and beyond. In almost all areas examined—outreach, enrollment and access to services—the programs are succeeding. In the 10 states studied, programs were put in place quickly, and overall, families were satisfied with the ease of enrolling children, many of whom remained enrolled for 12 months, depending on the state.

High-quality early childhood programs can produce broad, long-term societal benefits -- including increased employment and associated tax revenue, reduced crime, and reduced dependency on social welfare systems. Many states are moving toward providing universal pre-K to all children. This RAND report describes eight states' efforts to create statewide systems of high-quality pre-K.

What's happening to children in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems in Louisiana and Mississippi? The two are already among the nation's poorest states, and the recent chaos has disrupted or destroyed facilities, group homes, and foster care arrangements. Children in the juvenile justice system are more likely to get stuck in facilities far from home and the systems themselves are vulnerable. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, which has long targeted reform efforts in these areas, has the story.

Children are especially vulnerable to environmental hazards, and that means care should be taken in returning them to areas that have been flooded by the recent hurricanes, says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). While many advocates urge youth involvement in middle- and longer-term rebuilding efforts, the AAP cautions against the involvement of kids and teens involved in clean-up activities.