Children's Grief
Organizations
Charlene Reaveley Children's Charity Society
Provides assistance to families with children experiencing the loss of a loved one. Counselling resources for children and their families, and other children specific resources.
Children and Grief Youth Network
Advocates for educational opportunities and support services that will benefit children and youth who are grieving the dying or the death of someone they care about. Tips and activities for grieving children.
Dallas Shirley - Children's Grief Counsellor
Dallas Shirley is a registered clinical counsellor, providing online counselling for children and family support, she also provides adult grief counselling support.
Support resources for family and children after someone dies. Specific online resources for kids, teens, young adults, parents and caregivers.
Dr. Jay Children’s Grief Centre
Dr. Jay Children's Grief Centre is a Toronto based charity that provides compassionate care, support and education to grieving children, youth and their families while building strength, resilience and hope. They have a variety of online resources for supporting children’s grief.
Talking with kids and teens about serious illness, dying and death. Also provides resources for parents and educators.
Kid’s Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868
Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7, national support service. We offer professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people in both English and French—also on Facebook Messenger and Live Chat.
Lumara Grief & Bereavement Care
Supporting children, youth, adults and families impacted by serious illness, grief and loss. Providing online programming, workshops and events designed for children and families.
National Alliance for Children’s Grief
The National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG) is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and provides education and resources for anyone who supports them. Through the collective voice of our members and partners, we educate, advocate and raise awareness about childhood bereavement.
YouthInBC.com is first and foremost an on-line crisis chat service, where you can chat 1-on-1 with a trained volunteer from the Crisis Centre, where our service is based. We also have this site, with information so you can learn more on a variety of youth-related issues, as well as resources: a list of organizations and websites where you can get help.
Everyone across Canada under 30 years is welcome to chat with youthspace.ca. They are open 6pm-midnight PST, 365 days a year. They offer a diverse community of trained volunteers who would love to listen to how things are going for you.
Resources
When your child has died: This online resource has been designed to help you understand and care for yourself as you grieve the loss of a child. It was developed by the Canadian Virtual Hospice in collaboration with national grief specialists and people who have grieved a child’s death. We are grateful to those who shared their wisdom and experiences.
Book lists for young children and adolescents curated by the Victoria Hospice. Topics include: pre-death, infant loss, pet loss, bereavement, and suicide death.
Suggested Book List for Young Children
Middle School/High School Suggested Book List for Middle School/High School Aged Children
Educational story on life and death for children.
Helping Children Cope – Mayo Clinic
Talking to your child about a tragedy can help him or her understand what's happened, feel safe and
Recommended Reading from LightHouse
Compilation of resources for supporting children’s grief.
Supporting Children Through Grief
An overview of strategies to support children through the bereavement process.
Talking to Children About a Suicide
Talking to children about a suicide can be difficult. But doing so can greatly benefit those who are facing this type of death. Research has shown that talking about suicide does not increase a child’s risk of suicide. In fact, this discussion can lead to a rewarding learning experience.
begin to cope. Silence might make the event seem more threatening to your child.
When a Loved One Dies – KidsHealth
When a loved one dies, children feel and show their grief in different ways. How kids cope with the loss depends on things like their age, how close they felt to the person who died, and the support they receive. Here are some things parents can do to help a child who has lost a loved one.
Foundry BC
Offers resources and online support for young people ages 12-24.
SLAP'D (Surviving Life After A Parent Dies) - Online community for teens who have lost a parent
Learning Through Loss (LTL) - Youth Grief
Provides grief support for youth with the following services:
- Short-Term Grief Counselling - Support is provided by registered clinical counsellors and available
- to eligible youth. Click here for more information and referral intake form
- Learning Through Loss Group Program (LLGP) - This specialized small group eight-week program is facilitated by a registered clinical counsellor
- and co-facilitator for youth who are struggling with grief and loss. Click here for more information
- Good Grief Workshops (GGWs) - These interactive one-hour workshops support school districts to provide grief education. Click here for more information
- Supporting Youth Workshops (SYWs) - These 2-3 hour workshops are tailored to youth service providers who work with youth. Click here for more information (under Community Education Workshops)