Books and resources

Children under five may not fully understand the concept of death and they need simple and honest explanations, possibly repeated many times.

Books can be a good way to introduce difficult concepts to young children.

> Books for Early Years

> Elephant's Tea Party

> Managing bereavement: A guide for schools

Latest

Businessman to kayak, swim, run and cycle 2,020km from London to Stockholm for Child Bereavement UK

Alexander Fitzgibbons, a Trustee of Child Bereavement UK, is travelling from London to Stockholm in just 16 days by cycling, swimming, running and kayaking to raise £1m for the charity.
Inspiration from our fundraisers

Read our fundraisers' stories and find inspiration for how you can get involved in supporting our work.
"The ripple effect of the pandemic is huge."

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been significant for everyone, as communities face an event of great magnitude that feels outside our control.
Post 18 Education: Bereavement Awareness Session - follow-up resources

Further reading to empower you to feel confident to be able to offer pupils the support they may need and to develop a bereavement-aware culture within your settings, acknowledging the enduring nature of loss and helping pupils to manage their grief and develop resilience for the future.

Supporting a bereaved child in an Early Years setting

Bereaved young children need the stability of a familiar routine with caring adults.
Support for the family

Information to help members of staff supporting a bereaved family.
Support for yourself

Being alongside anyone experiencing a loss can be emotionally draining, but supporting a bereaved child, particularly so. The need for support yourself is not a sign of an inability to cope or of professional incompetence, but a recognition that everyone needs help to carry out this demanding role.
Developing a bereavement policy or charter

A school with a bereavement policy is prepared and has plans in place to deal with death, grief and bereavement. This applies to supporting a bereaved pupil or member of staff as well as reacting to a critical incident or tragedy, such as the death of someone within the school community.
Managing bereavement: A guide for schools

This guide offers support and information when a death occurs in the school community or when a school is facing an expected death. Can be downloaded free of charge.

Supporting bereaved children and young people

Children and young people grieve just as much as adults but they show it in different ways. They copy the responses of the adults around them, and rely on adults to provide them with the support.
Genevieve
Telling a child that someone has died

It is important to tell a child of any age when someone important in their lives has died, and ideally this is done by someone who is closest to them.
Supporting a bereaved pupil

This comprehensive, free-to-access resource , Supporting a bereaved pupil has been developed by Child Bereavement UK in collaboration with the London Grid for Learning.
What we offer

We are recognised as the leading provider of training for professionals working with bereaved families.
When your baby dies

When a baby lives only a short time or dies before birth due to miscarriage, stillbirth or a painful decision to end the pregnancy, people may assume that the loss is not important. This is simply not the case.
Claudia Winkleman becomes Patron of Child Bereavement UK

Claudia Winkleman has become a Patron of Child Bereavement UK, a charity which supports families and educates professionals both when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, and when a child is facing bereavement.
UK death & bereavement statistics

A parent of children under 18 dies every 22 minutes in the UK; around 23,600 a year. This equates to around 111 children being bereaved of a parent every day.
Grieving for a child of any age

The agony of losing a child of any age is unparalleled. There is no age or point in time that makes it any easier. No parent expects to face the death of their child and no grandparent expects to lose their grandchild.
Coronavirus – supporting bereaved children

Frightening events widely reported in the media, such as the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, can cause children to worry about themselves and others.