Supporting Grieving Children

Grief is a natural response to the death of someone significant in a person’s life, and this includes children and teenagers. However, when the death is by suicide, the grief experience can be even more complex and confusing. The resources below are intended to help parents and caregivers support children as they navigate the difficult emotions that come with loss by suicide.

Responding to Change and Loss

This interactive workbook from the National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG) provides guidance on how to support grieving children, manage your own grief as a parent/caregiver, and interactive activities to help process emotions. To access this resource, please click here.

Holiday Toolkit

The holidays can be a hard time for those grieving a loved one. This resource from the National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG) provides guidance for conversations surrounding the holidays and grief, activities, and more. To access this resource, please click here.

Supporting Children Grieving a Death by Suicide

This guide from the National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG) provides information on navigating different stages of grief with a child, conversation guides, and educational materials. To access this resource, please click here.

Before and After Death Grief Support for Children, Teens, and Families

The Dougy Center, located in Portland and in Canby, offers a wide range of free groups and resources for people of all ages who are grieving, including activities and more to help children express their grief as well as information on death and bereavement for supporters of children who are grieving. Resources available in Spanish here.

Children, Teens, and Suicide Loss Guide

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has created a guide with resources and information specifically for supporting a young person after a suicide loss. This guide touches on different stages of grief, navigating conversations about loss and grief, transitioning back to routines, taking care of yourself and much more. To access this guide in English, please click here. To access this guide in Spanish, please click here.