When wildfires strike, these camps give kids a safe place to recover

TL;DR

Wildfires in eastern Washington forced 60,000 people to evacuate and destroyed approximately 920 structures.
Spokane public schools, in collaboration with nonprofits and local churches, established free day camps for children affected by the fires.
Project:Camp, a nonprofit, specializes in setting up free day camps in disaster-stricken areas to support children's recovery.
The "education in emergencies" approach focuses on creating predictable routines and structures to help young people process traumatic events.
These camps offer childcare, meals, and activities such as games, arts and crafts, and interactions with characters like Abby Cadabby, alongside therapy dogs and other engaging experiences.
The initiative addresses not only children directly impacted by home loss but also those indirectly affected by the trauma of witnessing devastation or experiencing evacuation.
The camps aim to reestablish a sense of safety, normalcy, and routine for children, drawing on principles of "adverse childhood experiences" (ACEs) research.
The efforts are crucial as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events affecting communities.

Continuer la lecture de l'article original