Employees kept the nursery at the West Jefferson Medical Center in the city open to care for the children of doctors and other hospital staff.
They also took in children who do not usually attend the nursery but whose parents brought them in before the hurricane struck when they knew they would have to work through the storm.
A spokesperson for Bright Horizons in the US told Nursery World, 'We had four employees working at the center for five days with no electricity, no running water and no toilets. They worked 24 hours a day with no opportunity to sleep under these dire circumstances, all while not knowing the impact the storm had on their homes.'
Two nursery workers from a Bright Horizons nursery for JPMorgan Chase in Louisiana made a ten-hour journey, arriving at 2am on Wednesday morning (31 August) to bring aid to their colleagues. Staff and children were finally evacuated to Baton Rouge later that day.
Of the 20 employees who worked at the nursery, five were still unaccounted for, but may have left the city before the storm, the spokesperson said.
'Many of them have lost everything. Everyone we have been able to reach has left the city and is safe.'
The chain has established an emergency relief fund of $100,000 for staff at the New Orleans nursery and will give $3 for every $1 pledged.
With the help of JPMorgan Chase and Mercy Corps International, Bright Horizons is also putting together 'comfort kits' of soft toys, nappies and feeding equipment for pre-school children made homeless by the hurricane.
To donate to the relief fund log on to www.brighthorizons.com/ foundation or visit www.mercycorps.org quoting Bright Horizons Comfort Kits.
