Supporting children through grief can be challenging. What do you say or do? How can you help kids cope? Hospice Calgary’s Children’s Grief Centre recognizes that each child requires unique support.

The centre offers individual and family counselling, peer support and community education through online workshops and other resources for children ages 5 and up, teens, and their caregivers.

• Individual and Family Counselling: Our counsellors help families with children and teens adjust to the changes in their lives. Counselling is offered on a sliding scale, and no one is turned away due to an inability to pay. We ensure our services are accessible to all by attempting to remove logistical challenges during an already challenging time. Our counsellors work with patients and families at our centre and, when appropriate, can also offer support at hospices, hospitals, schools, homes, or other community locations.
• Peer Support Groups: Group programs for grieving children, teens, and families can help reduce isolation, foster connection, establish resilience, support mental health, and build community. We offer group programs for children, teens, and families.
• Grief in my Backpack:  An online resource for teachers and community leaders to better equip them with the knowledge and tools they need to support grieving children.

All counselling services are offered on a sliding scale so that families only pay what they can afford.  Last year, 72% of the centre’s clients did not pay any fees for services. The remaining majority of clients also accessed some subsidy to make their counselling possible.

Your gift will keep counselling accessible for those who cannot afford to pay and will support with costs associated with operating the centre including technology, supplies, utilities, admin support, client intake, professional development, and volunteer costs.

“I have felt alone parenting my girls in their grief with my own grief. Our loss had a lot of judgement and stigma. It is comforting to feel connected to others who know what we are going through.”