It can be the most wonderful time of the year but for many grieving families, the holidays signal a time of stress, loneliness and sadness.
Denver metro nonprofit, Judi’s House, has an upcoming FREE webinar on “Caring for Grieving Kids” which will provide resources and tips for grieving families as they navigate the holiday season. Virtual workshops are offered monthly and are limited in size to ensure participants can ask questions.
Another helpful resource: Creative Interventions for Bereaved Children. Are you struggling with grief? Don’t miss Catherine’s Dealing with Holiday Grief: How One Widow Learned to Appreciate Christmas.
Children’s Grief Awareness Month
The Colorado-based JAG Institute is sharing data and new findings for November’s observance of Children’s Grief Awareness Month showing that 1 in 13 U.S. children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18, an increase compared to previous years. Produced in partnership with the New York Life Foundation, the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM) approximates rates of U.S. children and youth who will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the time they reach adulthood.
Newly released CBEM data highlight rates of U.S. childhood bereavement by cause of death of a parent or sibling. The analyses focused on death caused by drug overdose, homicide, and COVID-19. Full research results can be found in the reports attached for your review. Some of the major findings concluded:
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A total of 4,782,000 children will experience the death of a parent before 18 years of age
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For children who experienced a parent death in 2020, 1 in 5 grieve an accidental overdose death.
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While relatively rare, in 2020 gun-related homicide and COVID-19 accounted for 4% and 5% of children bereaved by a parent’s death.
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2020 brought a sharp 25% rise in childhood bereavement due to parent death–65,300 more children than in the previous four years.
You are not alone! Go to Judi’s House for more information. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. While clicking these links won’t cost you extra money, they help us keep this site up and running. See our disclosure policy.
Author: Mile High Mamas
