Why We Need Children's Grief Coaches to Address an Urgent Crisis

The death of a parent is one of the most devastating experiences a child can endure. It disrupts the foundation of their emotional world and leaves them grappling with overwhelming grief. Without support, the consequences can follow them through adolescence and into adulthood, manifesting as depression, anxiety, academic struggles, and behavioral challenges. Today, as parental deaths in the U.S. continue to rise due to the pandemic, violence, and the opioid epidemic, the need for trained grief coaches to help children navigate their loss has never been more urgent.

The statistics are sobering. By the time they turn 18, nearly one in 13 children in the U.S. will have lost a parent, according to estimates from the JAG Institute. In communities of color, the numbers are even starker: one in six American Indian or Alaska Native children and one in nine African American children will experience this life-altering loss. Yet access to grief support remains severely limited, especially in rural areas and underserved urban communities.

Many children who lose a parent are left in what mental health advocates call “bereavement deserts” – areas without adequate resources to help them process grief and move forward. Micki Burns, the CEO of Judi’s House, explained that there’s an urgent and unmet need to guide these children through their pain and provide them with tools to build resilience. “We could be meeting that need, but we’re not,” Burns said. The resources simply aren’t keeping pace with this growing crisis.

This is where children's grief coaches can make a profound difference. Unlike traditional counseling or clinical therapy, grief coaches focus on providing practical and emotional support that is specific to coping with loss. They help children and families embrace the grieving process, which is often misunderstood or suppressed, particularly in cultures where emotional vulnerability is stigmatized.

Grief coaches offer tools to help children express their feelings in constructive, age-appropriate ways. Whether using art, storytelling, or play, these approaches give grieving kids safe outlets to process their grief without judgment. Coaches can also work closely with caregivers to model “resilient parenting,” a set of strategies that helps parents or guardians manage their own grief while remaining emotionally available to their children.

The importance of children’s grief coaches extends beyond the individual and family level. They play a critical role in raising awareness about childhood bereavement—teaching schools, community organizations, and health professionals how to recognize and respond to a grieving child’s needs. Without such intervention, bereft children risk being mislabeled as “troublemakers” at school or marginalized due to their behaviors.

Training and deploying grief coaches is a scalable solution to meet the growing demand for bereavement support. For children who may not have access to dedicated grief centers like The Sharing Place in Salt Lake City or Judi’s House in Colorado, grief coaches can help bridge the gap. They can work in schools, community centers, or even virtually, ensuring that no grieving child feels isolated or abandoned.

Investing in children’s grief coaching isn’t just compassionate—it’s essential. Research shows that early, sustained support for grieving children can help them overcome the long-term adverse effects of parental loss. It equips them with emotional tools to succeed in school, build healthy relationships, and thrive as adults. In a society increasingly shaped by collective trauma, supporting bereaved children is not only a moral imperative—it’s a critical step toward fostering resilience in the next generation.

Let’s answer this growing need with meaningful action. By training and funding grief coaches, we can ensure that no child has to walk through the darkest moments of their life without a guide. These coaches have the power to transform grief into growth, helping kids build strength for today and hope for tomorrow.

BECOME A CERTIFIED CHILDREN'S GRIEF COACH TODAY at GlobalGriefInstitute.com