OUR RESOURCES

72% of children have trouble concentrating at school after a loved one has died.

HANDBOOKS

Supporting Children and Youth

handbook for volunteers english

Click here to see
a sample of content

handbook for volunteers french

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a sample of content

handbook for supporters

Click here to see
a sample of content

Click here to see
a sample of content

Handbook to Support Children:
A HANDBOOK FOR VOLUNTEERS: 
SUPPORTING CHILDREN GRIEVING THE DYING AND DEATH OF A LOVED ONE
(available in English and French)

Handbook to Support Youth:
A HANDBOOK FOR SUPPORTERS: EXTENDING COMPASSION & CARE TO GRIEVING YOUTH
(available in French and English)

These handbooks are intended for volunteers and professionals who have received formalized training in the field of children and youth grief support.

As a supporter, you play a very important role in a child’s life – the work you do will not only serve them in their grief, but will help them to cope with other challenges that they might face in their lives.

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THE HANDBOOKS

Grief and Death

EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR SCHOOL SETTINGS

grief and death education toolkit english

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REQUEST
THE GRIEF AND DEATH EDUCATION TOOLKIT,
ENGLISH VERSION

grief and death education toolkit french

CLIQUEZ ICI POUR

DEMANDER

LA TROUSSE D’OUTILS D’EDUCATION SUR
LE DEUIL ET LA MORT.
VERSION FRANCAISE

This Toolkit is an initiative is to help educators feel more comfortable addressing concepts of death and grief within the school setting.  

It includes an outline of death education, lesson plans, tip sheets, and resource lists that compliment Ontario curriculum standards for grades 4-10.

The French version of this resource is now available for ordering.

The French translation of this resource is only available for PDF download and NOT available for hard copy.

This Toolkit is an initiative is to help educators feel more comfortable addressing concepts of death and grief within the school setting.  

It includes an outline of death education, lesson plans, tip sheets, and resource lists that compliment Ontario curriculum standards for grades 4-10.

The French version of this resource is now available for ordering.

The French translation of this resource is only available for PDF download and NOT available for hard copy.

Family Day

TOOLKIT

This resource was put together after the CYGN launched their first two family day programs in 2017. We compiled all of the planning resources, documents and learnings into one file so that other communities can hopefully deliver a similar program in a more streamlined way.

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REQUEST
THE FAMILY DAY
TOOLKIT

family day toolkit

E-LEARNING COURSE

Weathering the Storm: Parenting Grieving Children

children and youth grief network e learning course

This interactive e-learning course was created in partnership with the CYGN and the Family Education Centre and was developed using the content of the CYGN Handbooks.

The grief e-course has been created to support the caregivers of grieving children and youth and help them navigate the challenges of providing care after someone has died.

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THE INTERACTIVE
E-LEARNING COURSE

TIP SHEETS AND AUDIO PODCASTS

FREE tip sheets and podcasts (available in seven languages – Arabic, English, French, Mandarin, Punjabi, Spanish, Urdu) were created in Partnership with the Children and Youth Grief Network and the Family Education Centre Downloadable Tip Sheets and Podcasts for Grieving Caregivers include:

1. Communicating with Your Child or Youth about Grief
2. Tips for Recognizing a Grieving Child or Youth
3. The Importance of Self-Care In Helping Youth Child or Youth Grieve
4. Parenting When Your Child or Youth is Grieving

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THESE TIPS SHEETS
AND AUDIO PODCASTS

RESOURCE MAP INFOGRAPHIC

In the Fall of 2017, we created a short, electronic survey to determine the type of grief resources people wanted to access or were likely to use. We distributed the survey link within our networks (on social media, in newsletters, at network events) and summarized the results.

To our delight, many of the preferred resources had already been created by our network partners, or were in the early stages of development. If you are looking for a specific resource, see below for where you can find it!

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RESOURCE MAP

RESOURCE SUMMARY

The following is a full compilation and summary of all resources The Children and Youth Grief Network (CYGN) has developed to date. Please feel free to print this PDF and distribute to those in need.

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RESOURCE SUMMARY

INFORMING A CHILD OF A DEATH POSTCARD

This resource was originally designed by the Children’s Grief Centre at Hospice Calgary for Calgary Victim Services. The post card provides helpful information in regarding to supporting volunteers and professionals in how to inform a child of a death. After submitting a signed partnership agreement, you may wish to personalize the postcard resource with logos/contacts for your regional area. Users are responsible for printing their own copies of this postcard.

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REQUEST PERMISSION TO USE AND ADAPT POSTCARD FOR USE IN YOUR AREA

GRIEF BOOK LIST RECOMMENDATIONS

The value of reading to children is immeasurable and may play an even more critical role for a grieving child. Using stories along with providing creative expressive activities can be a great way to support children and youth experiencing grief and bereavement. Reading together with your child also gives your child a sense of safety, intimacy, a sense of well-being and can be equally as rewarding and bonding for the parent. Youth, adults and parents also benefit greatly from the emotional support that books provide following a death or loss. Books help us all to understand change and the strong emotions that accompany it.

The Children and Youth Grief Network Partners have several book lists that provide the names of books that have been supporting families for many years. These books have received outstanding reviews from the readers and are often used universally and globally to support grieving families. Please check out the links from our CYGN partners below…

Partner’s Book List:
Andrea Warnick Consulting
C. Elizabeth Dougherty Consulting
Dr. Jay Children’s Grief Centre
The Lighthouse Centre for Grieving Children
Heart House Hospice

CYGN Book Recommendations
To assist you with your search and to help find the right book for you, the Children and Youth Grief Network has chosen the top 3 books in several age categories for your consideration.

Young Children (4-8 yr olds)
– When Dinosaurs Die – By Laurie Kransny
– Lifetimes: A Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children – By Bryan Mellonie
– I Miss You: A First Look at Death By Pat Thomas

Older Children (9-12)
– Children Also Grieve – By Linda Goldman
-Tear Soup: A recipe for Healing After Loss – By Pat Schweibert and Chuck DeKlyen
-The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages – By Leo Buscaglia

Youth (13-18)
-Straight Talk about Death for Teenagers: How to Cope with Losing Someone You Love – By Earl A. Grollman
-The Secret C: Straight Talking About Cancer – By Julie A. Stokes
-The Last Invisible Boy – By Evan Kuhlman

Adults (19 and older)
-When a Parent is Sick: Helping Parents Explain Serious Illness to Children – By Joan Hamilton
– A Parents Guide to Raising Grieving Children – By Phyilis Silverman
-It’s OK that You’re Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture that Doesn’t Understand – By Megan Devine

CANADIAN ALLIANCE FOR GRIEVING CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Grief support organizations and professionals from across Canada join forces to create the Canadian Alliance for Grieving Children and Youth (CAGCY).

The Children and Youth Grief Network is a founding member and co-lead for the new alliance. CAGCY is the first Canadian national group of professionals working together to ensure the accessibility of bereavement support and information to grieving children and their families. Resulting from a collaborative effort amongst agencies and service providers across the country, the CAGCY seeks to address the barriers experienced by organizations providing services to grieving children and youth and strengthen the support offered to local communities.

*A national directory of Child Bereavement Support Programs by province and city and build awareness for grief supports available.

*A collective voice across Canada to raise awareness about childhood grief and bereavement

*Share evidence based practical approaches, educational tools and statistics related to child grief and bereavement.

*Educate and advocate on children’s grief and bereavement as part of the palliative care continuum

To access the National Directory of Children’s Grief and Bereavement Support Services click HERE.

For more information visit CAGCY https://www.grievingchildrencanada.org

Follow CAGCY on Social Media @CAGCYORG

CAGCY Facebook
CAGCY Twitter
CAGCY Instagram

KidsGrief.ca – For Educators

Grief in the Classroom – Module One – Chapter 1-6

As an educator, you occupy a central role in the lives of your students. This creates a valuable opportunity for you to teach about dying, death, and grief in ways that normalize and prepare your students for these life experiences. You’re also in a position where you may see signs of a student’s grief expressed verbally or through their behaviours – signs that may be missed by other adults in their lives.

By completing this module, you will:

  • Learn to recognize student grief.
  • Learn how you can incorporate grief education and support into the classroom.
  • Discover ways to support grieving students of various ages and abilities.

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GRIEF IN SCHOOL SETTING TIP SHEETS

Going back to school can be an exciting yet anxious time for all students. If a child/teen has experienced the death of someone close to them over the summer, or anytime during the year, they may feel extremely nervous and reluctant about returning to class. Every child is different and grieves in their own way but there are a few things you can do to help.

Lighthouse Centre for Grieving (www.grievingchildrenlighthouse.org) children offers free printable tip sheets for educators, school support staff, parents and caregivers to share widely.

  • 20 Things Grieving Students Want Teachers To Know
  • Supporting a Grieving Child or Teen At School
  • Returning to Scholl After a Death – How you Can Help
  • What to expect for a Grieving Child
  • Supporting a Grandparent Death During a Pandemic
  • Helping Kids to Understand Death and Supporting Their Grief
  • In the Wake of a Tragedy

 

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Grief in School Setting Tip Sheets

Dr. Jay Children Grief Centre – Resources

Out of the Shadows: Supporting Children & Youth Grieving a Substance-Related Death

The Dr. Jay Children’s Grief Centre (DJCGC) has helped to support children, youth and families living with grief for over twelve years. Recognizing the need for resources for families managing grief of all kinds, including the grief that comes from overdose and substance related deaths, DJCGC partnered with other community organizations to create a webinar and resource package for adults caring for a child or youth grieving a substance related death.

This resource was put together using information they collected working with families over the years, and through interviews they completed (Spring 2019) with caregivers and youth who have lived experience of substance-related grief.

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OUT OF
THE SHADOWS RESOURCE

Talking to Kids about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)

This information was developed by Dr Jay Children Grief Centre and created to support caregivers and other adults in talking to children and youth about MAID. A number of professionals working in the area of children’s grief, including Dr. Jay Children’s Grief Centre, Canadian Virtual Hospice, and Andrea Warnick Consulting, took part in providing answers to questions that adults and caregivers may have as they explore MAID.

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TALKING ABOUT MAID