Information and advice on supporting a bereaved child

Supporting a bereaved child can be tough. We provide information and guidance about our bereavement service, support for grief and loss.

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Bereavement support service for grief and loss in children and young people

Our expert team at Winston’s Wish offer a bereavement service by way of advice, guidance and bereavement support to children, young people, and families before and after the death of a parent, sibling or other important person. Below you will find guidance on topics including, support for grief and loss, talking to children about death, attending a funeral and coping with anniversaries. Also, we share our suggested reading list and activities to download, plus specialist advice for deaths by suicide, homicide and serious illness and advice on supporting children with SEND after a bereavement.

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Advice on supporting bereaved children and young people

Our blog is packed with advice and information from our Bereavement support Workers on supporting grieving children and young people. Below are some key articles, or click the button below to browse our blog.

Tell child someone has died
How to tell a child someone has died

Gentle and caring ways to tell a child that someone has died and age-appropriate language you could use.

Mum and two young children sat on a bench looking at countryside - bereavement support services from Winston's Wish
How to explain death to a child

Guidance on the language to use and examples in nature which can help you to explain the concept of death to a child.

How to help bereaved children understand grief
How to help children understand grief

A simple way to think about what it actually feels like to be bereaved to help children understand their grief and emotions.

Coping with anniversaries
Coping with anniversaries, birthdays and special days

Guidance on how to cope with emotions that may resurface on significant days and ways you could mark those important days.

How do children grieve
Do children grieve differently to adults?

How children may experience and express grief depending on their age, their understanding and their ability to talk about their feelings.

Should children attend a funeral
Should children attend a funeral?

Our team discuss why it could benefit children to be involved in a funeral, memorial or other ritual and how you can prepare them.

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Information for professionals supporting grieving children and young people

Helping bereaved children to return to school
Helping a bereaved child return to school

How teachers and school staff can support grieving children and help them return to school after a bereavement.

Do children understand death
What do children understand about death?

We explain how much children and young people understand about death at different ages and how you can support them.

Teenage girl with red hair and a lip ring looking thoughtful - What to say to a young person who is grieving - Winston's Wish
Dos and don’ts: What to say to a grieving young person

It can be difficult to know what to say to a young person after a bereavement, here are some ideas on what to say and what not to say.

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Resources for bereaved children and young people

Suggested reading list

A list of books to help bereaved children of different ages to understand what has happened and help them express their feelings.

Activities

Activities to help grieving children and young people express their feelings and to help them maintain memories of the person who has died.

Stories from young people

Our young people’s website Help 2 Make Sense is packed with advice and tips from our bereavement support team, as well as real life stories from other grieving young people.

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Specialist advice and support

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You might also be interested in

Publications and resources from Winston's Wish
Publications and resources

Specialist books written by Winston’s Wish to help you support grieving children and young people, plus memory boxes to store treasured items and free activities to download.

Mum giving her young son a hug sat on the sofa
Support for parents and carers

Help for parents and carers, including live talks, peer support groups and on-demand services, plus how to refer a child for bereavement support and counselling..

Fundraise for Winston's Wish
Support us

Winston’s Wish is a charity and relies on donations to help us do what we do. Find out all the ways you can get involved and support us.

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