Nationwide, one in 20 children experiences the death of a parent before age 18. Thirty percent of those children experience significant emotional and behavioral problems.
The Community Hospice offers a bereavement program for kids and teens who have experienced a loss. We offer comfort and healing, and equip young people with the tools needed to cope with their emotions, communicate effectively with others, and build appropriate supportive relationships.
Children who lose a loved one are at greater risk for depression, withdrawal, anxiety, conduct problems, and have lower self-esteem. If the death was a violent one, the impact can be even greater.
Daily problems that grieving children experience include disturbed sleeping and eating patterns, poor concentration, anxiety, depression, headaches, anger and argumentativeness. It's harder for them to attend school because they find themselves unable to absorb and retain new information when they are there.
Left unaddressed, these symptoms can complicate family and social relationships, creating additional burdens on the children, their friends, family and the educational system.