Description of CDS
Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) is a program of Brethren Disaster Ministries, a ministry of the Church of the
Brethren that includes volunteers from many backgrounds and community service organizations which sends
trained and certified volunteer caregivers to provide specialized care for children and families following natural
or human-caused disasters. Volunteers are trained to care for children by providing a calm, safe, and reassuring
presence in the midst of the chaos that follows a disaster by setting up and operating special child-oriented
centers in disaster locations such as shelters and assistance centers.
CDS can usually respond by sending a team of volunteers within 24 to 48 hours of a request for assistance. The
volunteers use creativity and flexibility to set up a center utilizing the supplies available to them. They bring a
Kit of Comfort (KOC) which is a large suitcase full of age-appropriate therapeutic play activities and toys that
are carefully selected to encourage children to play and begin to work through the trauma they may have
experienced. By caring for the children in a secure, designated space, CDS volunteers provide respite for
children from the stress of the experience. This also provides respite for parents and guardians, enabling them
to turn their attention to moving forward in the recovery process, knowing that their children are safe, and
allowing them time to do things such as have an adult conversation, take a nap or shower, take care of calls
regarding insurance or housing, or apply for assistance.
Children’s Disaster Services works in partnership with organizations which recognize the particular needs of
children affected by disasters. Major partners include the Red Cross, National and State VOADs, and FEMA (Federal Emergency
Management Agency) as well as state and local emergency management agencies and organizations.
Children’s Disaster Services provides specialized training for all its volunteers. The CDS volunteer workshop is a
comprehensive 25-hour program that uses applied, experiential activities to help the participants in the
facilitation of their learning on response. The training shows participants how to recognize and understand the
fears and other emotions that children experience during and following a disaster and how child-led play and
various art media can start their healing process. Once the training is completed, participants who are
recommended by their trainers can become certified CDS volunteers by providing personal references,
submitting, and passing a criminal and sexual offender background check. Background checks are renewed on
a regular basis.
Carolyn Neher
Associate Director of Children’s Disaster Services
cneher@brethren.org
(410) 635-8734
Brethren Disaster Ministries will hold their Children’s Disaster Services Fall Workshop on October 17-18, 2025, at the Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, 777 S. Mount Joy Street, Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Since 1980 Children’s Disaster Services (CDS), a program of Brethren Disaster Ministries, has been meeting the needs of children by setting up childcare centers in shelters and disaster assistance centers across the nation. Specially trained to respond to traumatized children, volunteers provide a calm, safe and reassuring presence in the midst of the chaos created by tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and any natural or human-caused disaster. Register.
Download the Training Flyer.