Caring for children after disasters has been a ministry of the Church of the Brethren since 1979. While participating in disaster relief efforts, Brethren Disaster Ministries staff noticed children waiting in line with their parents for assistance. The waits were long, and it was difficult for families to stay in line while also tending to the needs of their children. It became clear that not only was there a need for childcare in these areas, but more importantly, a safe place that addressed the social and emotional needs of children who had just experienced the trauma of a devastating loss.
To address these issues, Brethren Disaster Ministries enlisted the knowledge and insight of (then) Manchester College professor of early childhood education, Karen Doudt. Doudt served as a consultant, visiting disaster sites, interviewing families and Red Cross Volunteers, and the concept for Children’s Disaster Services was born. This included the idea of packing a childcare center in a suitcase, called a “Kit of Comfort”, to help encourage emotional expression through child-led creative play (Maria’s Kit of Comfort is a children’s book available from Brethren Press). A team was then assembled to train volunteers all over the country who could serve the unique emotional needs of children following disaster. Doudt left the program in 1982 to complete her doctoral work at Ball State University, using the expertise she had gained to focus on behavioral changes in young children following natural disaster.