Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers were doing badly in New Orleans before Katrina and are vulnerable to emotional and developmental damage afterwards. To heal the damage and narrow the gap in school readiness, these youngsters need high quality early childhood programs that blend health, mental health, and learning, along with support for parents. An ambitious plan to bring back families with young children and give them what they need should be a cornerstone of New Orleans' redevelopment, building on the proven model and national infrastructure offered by Head Start/Early Head Start and drawing in additional local partners and federal funding.