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Our Grief Matters for Children campaign wants support to be available to all bereaved children and young people, wherever they live and however they have been bereaved.
Knowing how many, and which children have been bereaved is a pre-requisite for getting appropriate support to all that need it. Astonishingly, no official data are collected each year on this. On 28 March 2023, Christine Jardine MP has secured a Westminster Hall debate on how we could improve data on bereaved children.
In each area, local children's and health services should work together with other services to make sure:
- they know how many children and young people have been bereaved of a parent or carer, brother or sister that year, and what services they need
- all children, young people and their families can access high quality services before and after the death of someone close
- adults who work with children and young people get training and support to understand how they might help someone who has been bereaved and where to find extra support.
To play their part, each school should have:
- sensitive and flexible people and systems that provide support and information for pupils and staff when someone dies
- opportunities to learn about death and bereavement as part of life.
To find out more, download our briefing.