9.21.2005 ET

(CSRwire) PORTLAND, OR - As thousands of hurricane-affected children start heading back to school, Mercy Corps is partnering with Bright Horizons Family Solutions, the world's leading provider of work-site child care and early education solutions, Kaplan Early Learning Company, a leader in the field of early care and education, and financial services giant JPMorgan Chase to bring comfort to displaced children.

The current "Comfort for Kids" program is being modeled on a program Mercy Corps, Bright Horizons, and JPMorgan Chase created to help traumatized New York City school children in the aftermath of 9/11.

"Young children throughout the Gulf Coast have been severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina. These children have lost nearly all of their comforts of home, often do not have a school to go to, and are so vulnerable to the stress and trauma the hurricane has brought to their family. We are pleased to work together with Mercy Corps, Kaplan and JPMorgan Chase to provide critical relief to these thousands of children. For many children who have experienced confusing and often terrifying loss, this will be the first support they have received that is specifically designed to meet their needs as young children," said Linda Mason, Chairman and Founder of Bright Horizons Family Solutions and member of Mercy Corps's Board of Directors.

In this project, Mercy Corps and its partners are targeting children five-years-old and under, with an initial geographic emphasis on Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas.

There are several components to the program:

Comfort Kits are designed to promote emotional security, comfort, and basic developmental support to infants, toddlers and preschoolers. These kits will be presented in small child-friendly duffel bags and backpacks. The youngest evacuees will receive kits including a stuffed animal, toys, and a book. Preschoolers will receive kits that include a stuffed animal, crayons, books, a doll and play people. The kits will be assembled by Kaplan Early Learning Company and distributed by Head Start centers.

Bright Spaces in a Box include resources and guidelines for creating safe and nurturing play areas in shelters housing evacuees with young children. Each kit will be comprised of 5 boxes containing materials and guidelines for building and operating child care centers for children under the age of 5, from furniture to art supplies and toys. The boxes equip each center to serve 100 to 200 young children in the course of a day. These centers could be established in shelters, religious centers, and other community centers hosting children. These Bright Spaces in a Box are modeled on a program by the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children.

Trauma training and resource materials tailored to natural disasters and displacement will be provided to strengthen their caregivers' ability to support traumatized youth.

Participants will receive materials including booklets for parents and activities for supporting these children, with a special emphasis on dealing with displacement, homelessness, and broken communities. The program trains staff of Gulf region social service agencies in order to ensure wide dissemination of these materials throughout affected areas.

JPMorgan Chase, Kaplan, the Bright Horizons community of families and employees, and Hanna Andersson are providing substantial financial support for Comfort for Kids, along with the thousands of individuals who have chosen to support Katrina survivors through Mercy Corps.

How to help

Online: www.mercycorps.org
Phone: 1-800-852-2100
Mail: Mercy Corps, Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, Dept NR, PO Box 2669, Portland OR 97208


Note to producers/editors: Mercy Corps staff on the ground throughout the Gulf Coast are available for interviews.

Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against impossible odds. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided $1 billion in assistance to people in 81 nations. Currently, the organization's 2,100 staff worldwide reach 7 million people in more than 35 countries. Over 92 percent of the agency's resources are allocated to programs that help people in need. For more information, visit www.mercycorps.org

Susan Laarman 503-341-3799
Jeremy Barnicle 503-367-7738