Comfort for Kids - Haiti: Our plan for relief

Dear Bright Horizons Family:

With each passing day the number of casualties in Haiti grows; we hear more heart-wrenching stories and see new images of the devastation. We have quickly mobilized a team that has developed an organizational response focused on helping children and families who have been directly impacted by the earthquake. As we did in the aftermath of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, we are once again working with Mercy Corps, our relief agency partner. Our plan, Comfort for Kids – Haiti, includes the following key components:

• We are translating Jim Greenman’s What Happened to My World? Helping Children Cope with Natural Disaster and Catastrophe into Haitian Creole. This incredibly valuable resource will be made available to parents, teachers, and relief workers in Haiti as well as to U.S. Haitian communities.

• We are creating Comfort Kits for children in Haiti. These Comfort Kits, which will be distributed to thousands of Haitian children, will include items such as a blanket and a stuffed animal, and some basic necessities including a water bottle, toothbrush, and toothpaste.

• We are preparing “train the trainer” sessions for teachers, relief workers, and other professionals in Haiti to support and guide their work with children.

• Finally, we are creating a Comfort for Kids – Haiti fund. Bright Horizons will match dollar for dollar, pound for pound, euro for euro, all contributions up to $25,000. This fund will support our joint Comfort for Kids – Haiti effort with Mercy Corps. If you are interested in making a donation (e.g., individual, center/nursery fundraiser, etc.,) either click here or send a check made out to the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children noting that the donation is for the Haiti fund. The check can be sent to:

In addition, Bright Horizons co-founder Linda Mason will be traveling to Haiti in the next couple of weeks to contribute to the relief efforts. She will update us on her experiences as she prepares for her trip and once she arrives regularly.

We are proud to work with such a compassionate community of people and to be able to leverage our resources to help in this time of crisis. We will continue to keep you updated as our efforts evolve, and we thank you for your passion and commitment to helping us mobilize on behalf of children and families.

Sincerely,