Mary Bridge Children's Hospital

BRIDGES: A Center for Grieving Children

Support Groups for Children Grieving a Loved One's Death

BRIDGES is a grief support center serving families with children ages 4  through 18 who have experienced the serious illness of a family member, or the death of a relative or friend. We offer peer support groups for facilitated by trained volunteers.

 

We offer a support program just for children because they grieve differently than adults. We believe that every family member is entitled to the opportunity to grieve in a supportive, informed and understanding environment. Our hope that the children we serve will reconcile the death, and growth and healing will occur.

BRIDGES' grief support groups include:

  • Parent loss bereavement support groups
  • Sibling loss bereavement support groups
  • DISCOVERIES: A support group for children ages 4 through 18 who are living with someone who is chronically, critically or seriously ill.
  • CROSSINGS: A bereavement support group for children who have experienced the violent death or suicide of a parent
  • PASSAGES:  A bereavement support group for children who have experienced the death of a relative (grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin) or friend.

Our support groups are age and developmentally appropriate. We use discussion and specifically designed activities to help children through the grieving process.