From The Houston Chronicle:At least 225,000 students remain out of school along the Texas Gulf Coast and 45,000 more preschoolers are still without child care — putting them in tremendous danger of physical and emotional neglect, advocates said Sept. 25.
About half these children already live below the poverty line and rely on school for two meals a day. Many are still living in homes without electricity and may be left unsupervised as their parents are forced to return to work, officials said.
"We're all distressed by the current state of Houston's children," said Bob Sanborn, president of Children at Risk, a nonprofit advocacy and research group. "The hurricane hit them hard, just like it hit everybody else."
Sanborn and others applauded area school districts' efforts to reopen. Allowing children to resume routines is a major step toward healing.
"Children not only need routine, they want routine," Sanborn said. "It's the quickest way to get our kids back to normal."
So far, all but about 10 school districts in the region have reopened.
Classes resumed at about 200 Houston ISD campuses by Sept. 25. While phasing in the reopenings has helped some children, it has left others confused.
At Burbank Elementary, which had its opening delayed, crossing guards showed up to work Thursday morning. Officials said the campus still had a number of issues, including falling ceiling tiles and air quality problems, that kept it from opening as previously announced.
One mother said she's walked her daughter to Burbank every morning since Tuesday."They didn't call or anything," said Maria Cruz, who doesn't have electricity and is relying on friends to update her on Burbank's status.
HISD spokesman Norm Uhl said Burbank's circumstances were unusual, in part, because the school's phone system was down and unable to send automated messages to parents..
The district still hopes to open the remaining 70 or so campuses Monday, but Uhl said it could be a last-minute call depending on whether electricity has been restored and repairs are finished.
State officials are expected to announce in the next few days how many of the missed days students will be expected to make up. Depending on that decision, local districts will have to decide whether to extend the school day, cancel holidays or add days at the end of the year.
In addition, at least 15 percent of the region's infants and preschoolers who attend day care are still without service, said Carol Shattuck, president of Collaborative for Children, which has been offering child care referrals for parents in need. About 47 of the area's 4,700 centers were destroyed by Hurricane Ike, and nearly 500 others were seriously damaged.
Officials said they're looking for grants and other resources to help parents, day care workers and centers.
Advocates said employers should be creative and understanding to help parents return to work as soon as possible.
"We've really been encouraging companies to be very family-friendly," Shattuck said.
Jose Rendon, vice president of public policy for the Houston YMCA, said they've tried to expand services in this time of crisis. They'll continue to respond to the needs of Houston-area families, who may now be required to work extra hours to make up wages lost since Ike hit.
"It's not a matter of a week or two weeks," he said. "Lives are going to be disrupted for a long time."That's especially true for children in Galveston, officials said. The school district there still hasn't announced when it plans to reopen.
Dr. Irwin Redlener, a pediatrician and professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and president of the Children's Health Fund, issued strong cautions to parents after surveying the damage in Galveston.
"There are risks — some that are visible, others that are not so visible," Redlener said. "It really does run the gamut from accidents and injuries in areas where there is rubble to infections and other contaminants. The point is to let the experts complete their analysis before bringing children back to the area."
Outside of physical risks, experts warn that children in both Galveston and Houston may experience mental health issues.
Parents and others must watch for any drastic changes in how children behave, including eating and sleeping patterns.
"The bottom line is, don't wait," said Steve Schnee, executive director of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County. "If you start to see a change in your child, come forward and get assistance."
