Grief and loss
Children experience loss and grief in many different circumstances. The sadness they feel, how the absence of a parent or loved one from their lives affects them, may be experienced in many different ways over time.
These resources are particularly relevant for service providers or those working or studying in areas related to the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents. They bring together a range of information on how children may experience grief at different ages and stages, and what can be done to help them.
Resources for practitioners
Information on grief and loss
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Children who have lost someone close to them experience grief over the days and months, and to a lesser degree, the years that follow.
Resources for families and carers
Supporting your child through grief and loss
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Advice for parents and carers on supporting your child through grief and loss.
When a child loses a pet
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For a child, often the grief of losing a pet is as real as the grief felt when losing another loved one.
Other resources
After someone dies: a leaflet about death, bereavement and grief for young people
Cruse Bereavement Care, UK
A short booklet designed for young people who have recently experienced a loss.
Literature review on bereavement and bereavement care
Joanna Briggs Institute, UK
A literature review on bereavement and bereavement care. Includes chapters on childhood bereavement, bereavement in families and bereavement interventions.
Skylight articles on grief
Skylight, NZ
A list of downloadable resources on grief and loss in children and adolescents. Helpful for parents and professionals working in this area.
Supporting a bereaved child: information for professionals
Winston's Wish, UK
This page offers information for professionals who may come into contact with a young person who is bereaved.
Understanding children's grief
Bereavement Care Centre
This article provides an overview of the way that loss can affect children and how they may express their grief.
What do we tell the children? When someone dies
Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council, SA
A brochure designed for workers and families and covers the responses to grief of children from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
Links
Anglicare Loss and Grief Star Bear Program
SA
A program for children aged 5 - 16 years who are grieving the loss of a parent, sibling or carer.
Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement
An independent, not for profit organisation that provides grief and bereavement support. Also provides support for professionals working in the areas of grief and bereavement.
Barr–Harris Children’s Grief Center
US
For children who have lost a sibling or parent through death / divorce / abandonment. It provides resources, books, assistance for schools and guides for teachers.
Bereavement Care Centre
NSW
An organisation that provides comprehensive and accessible counselling and support services for terminally ill people and their families and for adults and children recently bereaved. Also provides training and resources for professionals.
Bereavement Research Forum
UK
Aims to provide a forum for interested professionals to promote and develop bereavement research.
Child Bereavement Charity
UK
Charity providing services to bereaved children. Also provides professional support and training and support to parents and carers. It provides interactive forums on its website, resources for parents and professionals, web links and suggested readings.
Childhood Bereavement Network
UK
For bereaved children and young people. Provides information, guidance and support to manage the impact of death on their lives. Service provider information; parent / carer info; young person info; links to websites; free training materials; guidelines for good practice; publications; links to bereavement research forum.
Children's Grief Education Association
This website provides grief education and support to bereaved children.
Coalition to Support Grieving Students
US
This website offers print and video support modules for educators and school staff to help grieving students
Cruse Bereavement Care
UK
Promotes the wellbeing of bereaved people and to enable anyone bereaved by death to understand their grief and cope with the loss. Includes information, advice, education, training, information for schools, a youth website link and a bereavement service directory.
Good Grief - Seasons for Growth
An organisation that assists in the development and delivery of services in the areas of change, loss and grief, especially in school environments.
Grief Link
An information resource on death-related grief for the community and for professionals. Affiliated with the National Association for Loss and Grief (NALAG).
Jeremiah’s Journey
UK
UK-based charity that offers support and information to children and their families when someone dies. Information for parents / carers or professionals supporting bereaved children plus sections for bereaved children and teenagers and a newsletter.
National Alliance for Grieving Children
Their website has resources and activities to better support children and teens grieving a death.
National Association for Loss and Grief (NALAG)
An organisation that aims to facilitate and improve the community's awareness to loss and grief issues and increase the capacity to effectively respond to loss and grief including bereavement.
National Centre for Childhood Grief: A Friend's Place
A specialist centre in childhood bereavement. Provides services for children, young people and their families. Also provides education and training services to professionals.
Rainbows
Rainbows is a national and international program providing developmentally-designed programs to support people from three-year-olds to adulthood who have experienced change, loss and grief.
Sids and Kids
Provides bereavement support services for anyone affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a child.
Wombat's Wish
VIC
An organisation that provides community-based support for parentally-bereaved children. An information site for carers and the community.
