Supporting families
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) provides respite, education and individualized consultation for parents about their child’s unique emotional needs after a disaster.
When picking up their children, parents often start to talk with CDS volunteers. Parents share concerns and worries with the volunteers who have cared for their children for the past few hours.
The volunteers, who have been trained in what is typical behavior for children after a disaster, can reassure parents about the child’s adjustment, give parents a printed resources about helping traumatized child, or refer parents to appropriate community resources.
Supporting communities
Children’s Disaster Services will provide workshops and/or consultation to communities (agencies, schools, etc.) about their unique needs relative to disaster, trauma and children.
CDS will provide consultation to schools, hospitals and other community agencies with concerns about child care after a disaster. In addition to consultative phone calls and meetings, workshops can be presented to committees, groups of volunteers and others with a need to know more about children and disasters.
CDS has also made presentations at conferences, allowing even more people to be exposed to the guiding principles behind our work with children.