A stuffed toy is a toy doll with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material. They are known by many names, such as plush toys, plushies, stuffed animals, and stuffies. We like to call them stuffies, and we put one in every Comfort Cases. With 24,000 Comfort Cases being distributed each year, that's a lot of stuffies needed!
There are over 437,500 youth in foster care in the United States. They have often suffered unimaginable abuse and neglect, and are then handed a trash bag in which to carry what few belongings they might have. Children in foster care are twice as likely as combat veterans to suffer from PTSD and only 54% graduate from high school. Comfort Cases provide children with a sense of dignity and hope by giving them comfort and personal care items of their very own.
The Comfort Case is a wonderful trauma-informed intervention. Children who have learned that they are unimportant receive new things of their own. Toiletries and dental supplies communicate the importance of self-care and self-worth. The stuffed toy and blanket help soothe and comfort. The book provides a healthy distraction and intuitively teaches an important component of stress management. The journal and coloring book help to calm distressing feelings.
Children who have been abused and neglected often feel worthless and like nobody cares about them. Receiving a brand new pair of pajamas, tied with a ribbon, upon entering foster care, instills a sense of dignity and hope. We often hear from social workers that children smile for the first time in a long time when they open their Comfort Cases. Showing these children that they are cared about and that they matter has a long-term impact on their ability to heal after trauma.
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