
Supporting Kids in a Funeral Environment
In collaboration with Dignity Memorial, the National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) is proud to introduce the Child-Friendly Funeral Home Designation. This designation will be awarded to funeral homes that complete specialized training, adopt child-centered practices, and commit to ongoing efforts to support grieving children and their families. By meeting these standards, funeral homes will signal their dedication to compassionate care for the entire family, including its youngest members.
Why are Child-Friendly Funeral Homes Important:
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- Holistic Family Care: Grief is experienced across the family. When children are acknowledged and provided with tailored support, it not only helps them but also helps the caregivers who are often grieving themselves. Families find comfort in knowing that their children’s needs are understood and respected.
- Strengthens Community Trust: A funeral home that goes the extra mile to welcome and support children demonstrates its commitment to the entire community. Offering child-friendly spaces and resources shows that the funeral home values all family members, fostering deeper connections and a positive reputation within the community.
- Facilitates Meaningful Involvement: Encouraging children to participate in appropriate ways during funeral services is important. Funeral professionals who provide these opportunities help children feel included in what can sometimes be an isolating expereince for them.
There are three pillars of focus for the designation:
Education
Each location will watch an on-demand video with information and considerations for supporting children before, during, and after a death. Handouts that will be provided will supplement the education content and helpful checklists will help you identify potential strategies for your location becoming more child-friendly.
Resources
The NACG will offer a list of resources that can be printed or emailed to families. This will include information on a range of topics including death notification, stigmatized death, and frequently asked questions from caregivers on how best to support a child. These are to support you in your outreach to families.
Follow-Up Support
We know that connecting families to additional support after the funeral is very important. We will support you in connecting with local bereavement centers or national groups that can support families.
Requirement to get designated
- Each family-facing staff member will watch the video. (This can be done individually or as a group in a meeting.)
- They will answer a quiz on completion.
- The NACG will confirm the completion of these two tasks and be available to answer any follow-up questions.
Requirement to get designated
- Confirm that you have specific resources to support caregivers and families and how you plan to share them.
- Commit to updating your support plan for families to reflect sharing them.
Requirement to get designated
- Have a defined plan in place to connect families onward to support.
- Maintain an ongoing relationship with your local childhood bereavement center.
The NACG is here to support you in this process. We are available to answer questions or connect you to local childhood bereavement organizations. This program is a pilot, and space is limited. Register your interest today using the button below.
Have some additional questions? Email us at info@nacg.org, and we will be happy to answer.
Once you have completed the steps, the NACG will confirm your designation for the year. At this point, all that remains is to share the news of your designation with the community! We will provide a digital designation badge and a press release to support you in sharing this news broadly.