Comfort Kits in Chicagoland
Comfort Kits are totes that contain a few toys and items, as well as playful instructions for caregivers to guide children in the practice of skills that help re-regulate feelings and offer calm moments during chaotic times. They are part of psychological first aid, not therapy, but the skills have life-long value!
Each Comfort Kit is accompanied by online and/or printed expert guidance, and if needed, a Zoom consultation can be scheduled for caregivers, relief workers, parents, and teachers to learn more about how to "coach" children to explore and play with the items in the Comfort Kit. The combination of tangible toys, time spent with an adult, playful instructions, and practice sessions promotes success and allows a child to easily transition from the experience of extreme tension to a natural place of imagination, creativity, and fun. Once children engage with items in the Comfort Kit, they usually continue to play with them - having discovered how to create comfort for themselves.
Dr. Lisa Lombard, co-founder of Comfort Kits for Children, first began this initiative in support of children impacted by the war in Ukraine. People have been generous – typically asking, "what can I do to help?" when they learn how many children have suffered. To date, over 1,000 kits have been sent to Ukraine and Poland and the organization continues to update this website of curated behavioral health resources for the care of children facing trauma.
Dr. Lombard had anticipated supporting children in Chicagoland, but this commitment crystalized and took on urgency after the Uvalde, Buffalo (her hometown), and Highland Park mass shootings in 2022. While volunteering in Highland Park she saw an amazing outpouring of support, resources, emotional needs, and grief in the aftermath of traumatic events. Dr. Lombard recognized that this response level was unlikely to be available to under-resourced communities in Chicago, despite their similar emotional needs and traumatic experiences. Consequently, she began reaching out to organizations and groups who might partner with Comfort Kits, to bring this healing tool to children in Chicagoland. Plans are forming to provide Comfort Kits to some Chicago schools and their SEL programs, to medical providers, and to community partners like daycare centers. Civic organizations are planning on collaborating with Comfort Kits for Children to establish the assembly and distribution of Comfort Kits as a service project benefiting their local communities.