Resources for Families


Children often grieve differently from adults. When a loved one dies, it is often a child's first experience with death. CaringMatters Children's Bereavement Services help children explore their feelings, develop healthy coping strategies, and find comfort and safety in learning that they are not alone.
Our grief support services for children are facilitated by trained staff and volunteers in group environments where they can meet peers who have suffered similar losses.
CaringMatters has developed useful video and printed
resources on children's grief in several different languages.
Click links below to view or download.
CaringMatters Family Activity Newsletter
Spring Holidays English / Spanish
Mother's Day English / Spanish
Father's Day English / Spanish
These activities, offered in both English and Spanish, can help grieving families honor and begin a conversation about their loved ones, remembering their personality, gifts, and the special times shared together.
Baylor University
Child Bereavement UK
-
Supporting bereaved children and young people with additional needs through grief (pdf)
-
Supporting bereaved children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) (pdf)
-
Goodbye, Grandpa: An expert guide to talking to kids about death during Covid
-
Resources for Parents and Caregivers Supporting a Grieving Child or Teen
-
Supporting Children and Teens When A Family Member is Dying in a Hospital or Healthcare Facility
-
Supporting Children and Teens in Foster Care During the COVID-19 Global Health Crisis
National Alliance for Grieving Children
The New York Times
University of Oxford
The Washington Post
-
Perspective | I had no idea how to talk to my children about a loved one’s death. I’m not alone.
For more information on resources and support for grieving children, contact
Gilly Cannon, Senior Director of Children's Bereavement Services, gillyc@caringmatters.org or 301-990-8904.
MCPS Waymaking - Grief and Loss
February 26, 2021
featuring Gilly Cannon, Director of Children's Bereavement Services
Gilly Bayes Cannon, our Director of Children's Bereavement Services, joined Dr. Christina Connolly, Montgomery County Public Schools' (MCPS) Director of Psychological Services, on the latest episode of the MCPS Waymaking series, to discuss how families can better understand feelings of loss and provide ways to support a grieving child.
AARP Maryland Lunch & Learn Facebook Series
August 13, 2020, Children and Grief
featuring Gilly Cannon, Director of Children's Bereavement Services
Tips for Supporting Children Who Are Grieving
Consejos para apoyar a los niños que están de duelo
Des conseils pour soutenir des enfants qui sont en deuil
Tips for Supporting a Child When Someone Far Away Dies
Astuces pour soutenir des enfants endeuillés les jours spéciaux et pendant les fêtes
Tips for Supporting Grieving Children on Special
Days & Holidays
Consejos para apoyar a los niños que están de duelo, en algunos días que son especiales y en los días festivos
Teens Share Tips for Adults Supporting Grieving Children
Adolescentes comparten consejos con adultos para
apoyar a niños que están de duelo