Children and family bereavement needs on the rise at Hospice of Santa Barbara

Children and family bereavement needs on the rise at Hospice of Santa Barbara 
Santa Barbara Independent, Santa Barbara, CA; by Hospice of Santa Barbara; 3/5/25 
It’s not just adults who are impacted by grief and loss in our community. Children are as well. One in five children will experience the death of someone close to them by age 18, and one in twenty children will experience the death of one or both parents before reaching adulthood. Although death and grief are inevitable parts of life, these statistics highlight just how many children are impacted. Children are especially vulnerable when they lose a close loved one, and without professional support, grief can be especially paralyzing and overwhelming. ... Hospice of Santa Barbara’s Children and Family Services program provides free professional support and coping tools for children, teens and their families ... HSB is active in local campuses, providing professional weekly support groups from elementary to college age students. On-campus counseling services provide a vital space for open communication, support and the development of coping skills.
Editor's note: What specialized child, teen and family bereavement services are you providing? Missing? What more can you do, with life-changing outcomes for those you serve?