Participate in research

Child Bereavement UK has included some research studies below which we believe aim to both improve the support that bereaved families are offered and adhere to ethical standards. However please note that the inclusion of third party research below does not amount to an endorsement.

Current research studies

Involving parents and staff in learning from child death

This study is being run by researchers at the University of Birmingham and Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust, funded by the National Institute for Health Research. It aims to improve how hospitals and palliative care teams learn from parents after a child dies. The researchers would like to talk to bereaved parents whose children died in hospital, hospice or palliative care at home from 2021 to July 2022 to help with a research project. For more information visit: https://research.bhamcommunity.nhs.uk/study/involving-parents-and-staff-in-learning-from-child-deaths/

Puddle Jumping: Understanding young children's grief following the death of a sibling. Narratives from parents and educators: A continuing bonds perspective.

Deb Ravenscroft is currently undertaking a Doctorate in Education at the University of Chester. She is a Senior Lecturer in Education and teaches across a range of programmes with a particular focus on young children and families. Deb is seeking parents of a child or children in the family who are bereaved of their sibling to help her with her research. Their sibling may have died during their lifetime or before they were born. The research endeavours to understand how young siblings manage their grief following the death of a sibling. There is limited research into how young children navigate the loss of a sibling despite the significant impact it could have on this group of young children. A continuing bonds perspective explores how families develop and continue the relationship between the siblings following the bereavement. If you are interested in taking part or for more information, please see the Participant Information Sheet.

The UK Commission on Bereavement: Children and young people survey

The UK Commission on Bereavement has launched national surveys for children and young people bereaved in the last 3 years to get their view on how families, friends, schools & services can provide support. There are three surveys: There are three surveys available online for children aged 5-12, 13-15 and 16-17. The survey for 5-12 year olds also includes some questions for parents and carers. For more information on how you and/or your child can take part visit

Supporting children and families following the death of a parent

Alex Wray, a registered nurse, and research fellow is undertaking research as part of a PhD in Medical Sciences at Hull York Medical School (HYMS) into how professionals can best support children and families following the death of a parent. As part of her research she would like to speak to bereaved children aged 10-18 years and surviving parents who are happy to share their experiences about they how they supported each other and what helped them. If you are interested in taking part, Alex can interview you at a time that suits you via Zoom or telephone. Interviews take approximately one hour. For more information please email [email protected] or phone 07423508088.

You can also visit the HYMS website for further information www.hyms.ac.uk

Did you lose your mother in childbirth?

The Department of Counselling Psychology at City, University of London is looking for adult volunteers to take part in a study on the experience of having lost your mother during childbirth. You would be asked to take part in a one off 1-2-1 interview that would ask about how you have made sense of losing your mother during childbirth.

Parent involvement group to help improve stillbirth care through research

A research team in Bristol is looking for parents of stillborn babies (who died at least 6 months ago) to help identify the most important aspects of care that should be measured in studies. This will involve discussing what future research should look at and developing key messages for bereaved parents.

Children’s Bereavement Care and Adaptive Meaning Making in Bereaved Parents

The focus of this research is the immediate bereavement care parents experienced at the time their child died. The research endeavours to increase understanding of the unique role of bereavement care in facilitating meaning-making for bereaved parents. It is part of a Professional Doctorate in Counselling and Psychotherapy Studies / Psychological Trauma that Lesley Dougan, a BACP Accredited Counsellor, is undertaking at the University of Chester. Participants: a parent of a child who died before their 18th birthday and where the bereavement occurred over 12 months ago; additionally, those who accessed bereavement care when their child died.

COCOON Study on maternity care since the Covid-19 pandemic

The Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth in Australia and King’s College London are leading on a study to understand how maternity care has changed since the outbreak of COVID-19. Part of the study seeks to understand psycho-social experiences of the COVID-19 outbreak on parents who have experienced stillbirth or neonatal death during this outbreak. The researchers wish to interview parents who have experienced a late-term miscarriage, a stillbirth, or a neonatal death since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like to part in this study there is opportunity to leave your details should you want to share your experiences in an interview by taking part in an initial survey.

Jason Watkins and Clara Francis raise awareness of sepsis and child bereavement in ITV documentary

Child Bereavement UK’s Patrons Jason Watkins and Clara Francis launched a documentary film for ITV1 this week dedicated to their daughter, Maudie, who died when she was two and a half years old.
Vitality 10,000

London
Child Bereavement UK wins silver award in Charity Film Awards

Child Bereavement UK has won a silver award at the Charity Film Awards 2023 for its short animated film Puddle Jumping.
President of National Association of Funeral Directors becomes advisor to Child Bereavement UK

John Adams, President of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD), has become Funeral Industry Advisor to Child Bereavement UK.

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 bereaved children and young people

Children and young people grieve just as much as adults but they show it in different ways. Find out how you can help them and more about child grieving.
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.
When a grandparent dies - the impact on children and young people

The death of a grandparent is often a child or young person’s first encounter with the death of someone important. Parents have a great deal to manage when their own parent or carer dies. There is the grief associated with their own loss, but also the reactions and responses of their children to the death of a grandparent.
Children's understanding of death at different ages

Babies and young children have no understanding of the concept of death yet, long before they are able to talk, babies are likely to react to upset and changes in their environment brought about by the absence of a significant person.
Child Bereavement UK training

Child Bereavement UK designs and delivers training for professionals in health and social care, education, the emergency services and the voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.
Contact us

Contact one of the Child Bereavement UK centres or get in touch with one of our departments.
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.
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.
Sudden death - including accidents, suicide and homicide

Bereavement can be devastating in any situation, but a sudden death brings additional layers of shock, horror or disbelief. We can help, find out more here.