"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." - Maya Angelou
Much like a butterfly, the struggles of bereaved children and teens often go unnoticed.
That's why each fall, our team at Companions on a Journey links arms with bereavement centers from across the nation to bring attention to the bereavement needs of children and teens during November, a month recognized at National Children's Grief Awareness Month. By joining with us this November in bringing childhood bereavement awareness to YOUR family, friends and community, you can send critical messages of support to bereaved children and teens throughout the Greater Cincinnati region and beyond.
Messages such as...
I see you.
You are not invisible.
Your grief matters, because...
You matter.
Take my hand.
We'll get through this together.
Childhood Bereavement in the U.S.
An estimated 1 out of 14 children in the U.S. will experience the death of a parent or sibling before they reach the age of 18. In Ohio, 1 out of 11 children will experience the death of a parent or sibling before they reach the age of 18. Over 4.9 million youth are bereaved, and the number more than doubles by age 25, to 12.8 million. Childhood bereavement is a prevalent and critical public health issue that can have a profound impact on future well-being.
A Few Facts About Children in Grief:
- Many people don’t realize that it takes most children much longer to deal with their grief than we expect, and that the amount of inner turmoil, invisible to most, is much more intense than we have any idea of.
- We raise awareness so that people will realize that even if there is no outward sign of inner turmoil, those storms can still be raging inside a grieving child’s heart.
- We raise awareness so that people will understand that a grieving child can’t just “get over it”—not in any set time period— not by any act of their own will—and that there’s no reason that they should just “get over it.”
Childhood Grief Resources