"I'm not alone." ​After attending a KCGCF grief group in one of our school programs, this is what one of our grieving middle schoolers came to understand.

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Bereaved children struggling with unsupported grief may have difficulties in school, have trouble regulating emotions and relationships, and exhibit a higher incidence of depression and anxiety. Without experiences that can help normalize grief and process its accompanying feelings, these children may continue to struggle—sometimes for decades.

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Children grieve over a long period of time, in stages, and often need to reprocess the grief each time they reach a new developmental stage. When a death has changed a family’s traditional support systems, group support and individual counseling services become even more critical during this healing process.

Children receiving grief intervention services have the positive opportunity to develop and build emotional awareness and coping strategies that will benefit them throughout their lives. Bereaved children also benefit from settings in which they can be with others in similar circumstances. A sense of safety and understanding is especially important for children and families who are grieving losses from stigmatized causes such as suicide, substance abuse, and criminal activity.