“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness” -Desmond Tutu Children and teens often have difficulty seeing beyond their present circumstances and emotions. CLDR works to address their current thoughts, emotions, and questions after disasters while empowering them to experience moments of joy and hope for the […]
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Disruptive life-events can present opportunities for trauma and negative effects, but also triumph and positive-growth. This is true for humans of any age, but the outcomes are especially impactful for children and teens. Even the most devastating challenges in life can result in positive-growth. CLDR gives kids the tools and support needed to maximize
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Children and teens often face new daily challenges and new emotions after disasters. They rarely have the context of experience or cognitive development to determine how to understand and move forward through those challenges. CLDR’s initiatives strive to walk alongside the youngest survivors as they work to find mastery over the overwhelming new tasks,
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Children often do not have the words to express their thoughts and feelings especially when emotions are overwhelming. CLDR provides opportunities for children to express themselves in ways that begin the healing process while also helping them communicate their needs, fears, and questions after disasters. Join our mission by donating to the
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Play is the method by which children learn, grow, communicate, and explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Play is the heart of the child life profession because of its proven benefits for children and teens. CLDR is honored to provide these opportunities for children who have experienced the overwhelming devastation of disaster. Play can
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Today is the kick-off for the GIVE KIDS THE POWER Child Life Disaster Relief fundraiser! We are in need of funding for our initiatives focused on providing psychosocial interventions for children after natural and man-made disasters. Each day we will highlight a different aspect of our initiatives; we hope you will catch a glimpse of
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As Hurricane Michael approaches with potential for major effects in the Gulf Coast, our partner CDS is working on forming teams for potential deployment. Please let us know your availability for deployment by filling out this form. We also have three more CCLSs deploying with CDS to Texas for the Border Crisis. Heather Ward and
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On September 17th, a group of 10 volunteers from Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) and Child Life Disaster Relief (CLDR) and I landed in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina to respond to and provide support for children and families affected by Hurricane Florence. We eagerly piled our personal belongings and kits of comfort (supplies and toys meant to
On Oobleck, Slime, and Paper Collage – Being Thankful in the Mess Read More »
We had such a great time providing services to families displaced by Hurricane Florence in College Park, MD. A group of three of us from CDS were able to set up a play space within a Red Cross shelter, and interact with fifteen different kids, ranging in age from two to fifteen-years-old. The kids had
Big Worries: A reflection from Kellie Matters Read More »
The strength of Child Life Disaster Relief is in it’s members. Child Life Disaster Relief has 809 members engaged. Through our partnership with Children’s Disaster Services, we have 529 of those members trained for disaster response! When the unthinkable occurs we work to connect our members with our partners so that they may use their skills to
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