The CGFC works to reduce financial barriers by proving funds to develop programs that support grieving children and their families. Our aim is to fund as many programs as possible. Children are often the “forgotten mourners” at the time of death. Without proper grief support, kids may struggle and experience mental health challenges and have difficulty coping with death in future.
In Canada, the current health care system does not adequately resource and provide access to preventative interventions that have the potential to reduce risk and promote wellbeing in children and youth adjusting to the loss of a loved one. There are several organizations that provide children's grief support. However, these programs do not always run all year round due to a lack of funding. Many of these organizations rely on community donations to carry out these programs. This poses a challenge as some organizations may not have the capacity to continue fundraising each year to support their children's grief program.
Additionally, many children's grief programs in Canada are in urban areas. Families and children living in rural areas may not have access to affordable grief support.
Our mission is to work with the community and raise donations to support programs across Canada. The integration of child and youth grief support in the continuum of care can help minimize severe or disruptive grief and traumatic reactions that warrant future attention.
Below is an interactive map of Canada that displays the areas where there is children's grief support.