In August and September 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused devastating damage to states along the Gulf Coast. In the aftermath of the storms, many questions were raised about the status of the thousands of children living in the affected areas. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) prepared this preliminary information under the Comptroller General's authority to learn more about: (1) the number of missing children and the challenges and lessons learned in locating them; (2) the number of foster and other children receiving child welfare services in Louisiana, in particular, who were affected by the storm, and the challenges and lessons learned in locating and serving them; and (3) the number of schoolchildren displaced by the storm, the damage to their schools, and the challenges and lessons learned for educating displaced school-aged children. This document was provided to officials from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education, as well as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The officials generally agreed with GAO's conclusions or provided technical comments that were incorporated into their findings. [This publication was produced by the United States Government Accountability Office.]