Childhood grief has profound impacts on youth, families, and communities. Nationally, 1 in 14 children, or 5.3 million, will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18 based on 2021 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model results. By age 25, that number more than doubles to 13.3 million. Childhood bereavement is a prevalent and critical public health issue that can have a profound impact on the future well-being of youth. Experiencing a significant death during childhood often results in acute stress and adversity that can derail a child’s development without appropriate support. When a child experiences a loss, they do not realize that there are concerned adults willing to help them with their grief so they often grieve alone. Research shows bereaved children are at increased risk of disrupted development. Unaddressed childhood grief and trauma can lead to short- and long-term difficulties including poor academic performance, mental health issues, and early mortality
We know that 7 in 10 teachers (69%) currently have at least one student in their class who has lost a parent, guardian, sibling, or close friend or family member in the last year and schools may lack the resources to support students who have had a loved one die. To provide support to schools, New Hope provides a School Based Grief Support Program to schools in the Greater Long Beach Area. New Hope offers an 8 week peer-support program for bereaved students in elementary, middle, and high school. The New Hope model is designed to meet the needs of students who have experienced the death of a loved one or someone special.
School-Based Grief Support Groups:
- Held once a week for 8 weeks during or after the normal school day for 60-70 minutes.
- Use a peer-support model led by New Hope’s trained volunteer facilitators and interns
- Made up of 8-12 students (identified by school personnel) who have experienced the death of a loved one.
- Require a campus liasion to work with with school faculty to identify students and communicate with parents.
- Focus on normalizing the grief process, honoring the deceased and building a supportive community.
To request a New Hope School-Based Grief Support Program on your campus please fill out our
School Group Interest Form
Trainings & Workshops for School Administrators/Teachers/Counselors:
New Hope has been providing grief and loss workshops and trainings for the past 18 years. We know that one of the best ways to support grieving children/students is to provide support for the adults in their lives. New Hope is a member of the National Alliance for Children’s Grief and continues to be a leader in providing schools, professionals and other organizations with the tools and resources to be more confident and competent in working with bereaved youth. New Hope is available and ready to tailor a training for your team or offer a parent workshop on your campus.
For more information about or to request a training/workshop at location, please contact our Executive Director, David Leonard at davidl@newhopegrief.org or call direct at (562) 429-0075 ext 3.
New Hope has provided grief support/training to the following schools: Cesar Chavez Elementary School, Dooley Elementary School, Edison Elementary School, Holmes Elementary School, Grant Elementary School, Jane Addams Elementary, Lafayette Elementary, Lakewood First Baptist Elementary School, Riley Elementary School, McKinley Elementary School, Colin Powell Academy, Whittier Elementary, Grant Elementary, Franklin Middle School, Marshall Middle School, Roosevelt Middle School, Lindsey Middle School, Lindbergh Middle School, Poly High School, Jordan High School, Wilson High School, Sunburst Youth Challenge Academy, Compton Youth Build, Long Beach Unified Parent Univesity, Long Beach Unified WRAP afterschool program.