Grief Support Resources for Grieving Families
This page is intended to provide resources to support grieving children and families. In addition to our typical resources, Joel’s Place for Children has created a tip sheet for caregivers of grieving children and teens during the COVID-19 pandemic. Access it here:
Expressive Arts Activities from Joel’s Place:
Consider these activities if you can’t attend Joel’s Place in person. Below, we share some of our favorite expressive arts activities for your child or family to communicate on current feelings and remember those special to you who have died. We hope you enjoy an insightful experience; if you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
Additional Grief Support Resources:
Thankfully, to serve the countless grieving children and families across the world, there are numerous organizations like ours who are committed to serving grieving children and families! We are a community of bereavement professionals and volunteers who come together to share resources and strengthen our programming and support as a grief support community. Please see below for other organizations we respect and recommend as a resources for you and your family.
National Alliance for Grieving Children
The National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC) 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. Visit their website for numerous resources, including COVID-19-focused materials.
The Dougy Center
The Dougy Center, based in Portland Oregon, is the founding children’s peer grief support group model. At Joel’s Place, we have trained directly with leaders from the Dougy Center to strengthen the support we provide. You can access numerous resources on their website. The link below provides pandemic-related grief support best practices:
Supporting Children & Teens When Someone Is Dying – This is a tip sheet of how to support children and teens before, during, and after someone they care about dies in a hospital or care facility. Given the current COVID-19 global health crisis, they’ve included suggestions for what children, teens, and families can do when they aren’t able to visit or see the person who is dying.
When Your World is Already Upside Down:
Supporting Grieving Children & Teens during the COVID-19 Global Health Crisis
The Dougy Center asks, “How do we possibly stay healthy and connected with the changes and anxiety added to what we were already dealing with?”. Read this tip sheet for tools and additional resources.
SLAP’D
Slap’d is an online community and website supporting teens who’ve lost a parent. The site was created by a teen whose father died as a forum for other grieving teens.
Sesame Street
Sesame Street offers a wealth of grief support for families through a searchable directory of activities, videos, workbooks and other children’s grief support resources.
Jessica’s House Resources for COVID-19 Grief Support
We connected with Jessica’s House through our membership with the NAGC. Visit their website to access a library of COVID-19 resources for caregivers and children.
More Websites:
How We Do It
We train volunteer facilitators to accompany children and teens on their grief journey. Joel’s Place is supported primarily by tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. We are supported in the community by organizations who donate space for our groups and by volunteers who donate everything from professional skills to snacks and supplies.
Groups meet at Bay Presbyterain Chruch 25415 Lake Road Bay Village, OH 44140
