Site Offers Essentials for Helping Bereaved Kids

A new website, A Child in Grief (achildingrief.com), has been launched as a resource to help people who wish to support bereaved children.

“Through our research and support of childhood bereavement programs, we saw an urgent need for this site. Many adults don’t know where to turn to help children on their grief journey, and we hope they will use this Web site to become educated or get connected to the additional resources they need,” said Chris Park, president, New York Life Foundation [the publisher of the website).

The site has in-depth, up-to-date sections for parents and family members and for teachers and school staff, as well as a page listing sources of national and regional support.

It offers a number of materials that are available as free downloads, including "After a Loved One Dies: How Children Grieve and How Parents and other Adults Can Support Them," a concise (27 pages) yet comprehensive booklet based on authoritative information about children and bereavement, and Sesame Street's superb little user-friendly handbook "When Families Grieve: A Special Guide for Parents and Caregivers" (hard copies of the Sesame Street booklet can be ordered for free, as well). And adults should consider watching -- with a child or children who are bereaved -- Sesame's Streets hourlong TV special featuring Katie Couric, which can be viewed for free</a>.

The new web site came about in part because of preliminary results from a study by New York Life Foundation and the National Alliance for Grieving Children, which according to a news release, show that:

Parents who have lost a loved one report that the loss is overwhelming and that there aren't enough resources to help grieving parents or children.