Save the Children Responding to Bushfires in Australia

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (November 12, 2019) — Save the Children will set up a Child Friendly Space to help dozens of children affected by the devastating bushfires in New South Wales, Australia.

The international humanitarian organization will establish the supported playgroup at the evacuation center in Taree, where hundreds of people are receiving support.

“This child friendly space gives children who’ve experienced the distress and uncertainty of the bushfires a safe space where they can play, socialize and simply be children, forgetting about what they have been through,” Save the Children’s Executive Director of Australian Services, Matt Gardiner said.

“Importantly it also gives parents and caregivers the freedom to go and organize their affairs like insurance and accommodation with the knowledge that their children are being cared for in a safe and supportive environment.”

Save the Children will run the Child Friendly Space until at least Thursday.

“Experiencing a disaster like a bushfire and the uncertainty that comes with it is an incredibly stressful thing for a child to go through. Save the Children sets up child friendly spaces when emergencies strike all over the world and they are an incredible support for parents and children facing disaster,” Gardiner said.

“The bushfires in Queensland and New South Wales have been catastrophic and Save the Children stands ready to do whatever is needed to support affected children.”

Save the Children has been working in Australia since 1919 and has responded to several emergencies this year including following Cyclone Trevor in the Northern Territory, the Tasmanian bushfires and the Townsville floods in Queensland.

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've been advocating for the rights of children worldwide. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming the future we share. Our results, financial statements and charity ratings reaffirm that Save the Children is a charity you can trust. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.