National Children’s Grief Awareness Day (NCGAD) was created in 2008 by Highmark Caring Place and is observed the Thursday before Thanksgiving.
This initiative is meant to bring awareness to grieving children who are often referred to as the forgotten mourners. Many times, the adults or older siblings are entrenched in their own grief, leaving young grievers without the support needed during this critical time.
Places like the Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center can provide the support a grieving child may need. We do this in a variety of ways such as individual counseling and children’s art and play groups. Many times, children are not able to find the words to express their grief and we can use play, music, art, and books to help them give voice to their grief and help them process their loss.
You can help support grieving children too! Thursday, November 18th you can wear blue to raise awareness and facilitate a conversation about supporting grieving children. You can use the hashtag #childgriefday on all your social media to help bring attention to this initiative. You can click on, and share, this link http://childrensgriefawarenessay.org/cgad2/pdf/butterfly/pdf . The blue butterfly is named Hope and we can all take pictures of us “Holding On To HOPE”
Additionally, hhis “Holding on to Hope,” sheet provides space for a name or names of those you wish to “Hold On To HOPE” for, whether in memory of them or in honor. https://www.childrensgriefawarenessday.org/cgad2/pdf/bubble.pdf
Together, let’s spread “Hope” to let grieving children know that we are here for them, we care, and they are not alone.
