We have two Certified Child Life Specialists deploying with our partner, Children’s Disaster Services (CDS), to help support children and families impacted by the Texas border crisis. Kat Leibbrandt and Kelly Boyd, both CCLSs at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Florida are joining the CDS team already in Texas providing child-centered play for the children affected. The team arrived a few days ago and they have been quite busy so far – supporting 76 children on their first day! Please offer your support for them on this difficult deployment.
The Texas Border Crisis response is still unfolding, and ongoing needs will be assessed throughout the next several weeks.
In addition, we will likely see increased demand for volunteers as hurricane and wildfire season is upon us.
If you are a CDS Certified Volunteer please fill out the form below with any availability you might have for the next several weeks and months to come. Note: Sending availability does not guarantee deployment and is not an obligation. It simply puts you on a list to be contacted first should needs arise during that time.
As always, we thank each and every one of you for all your support of children and families impacted by traumatic experiences. Whether you are a CCLS or student making yourself available to deploy, a child life manager or director supporting your staff to deploy, or family, friends and co-workers making sacrifices so the child life specialists in your life can use their skills in this way — we are so grateful.