Data & Statistics

Childhood Bereavement: A Critical Issue

An estimated 6 million children in the U.S. will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. Childhood grief has profound impacts on youth, families, and communities. In partnership with the New York Life Foundation, Judi’s House developed the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM) to understand the magnitude of the issue. The CBEM approximates rates of U.S. children and youth who will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the time they reach adulthood.

This information helps communities evaluate the impacts of unaddressed grief, campaign for grief resources, and ultimately, contribute to improved outcomes for grieving families everywhere.

The 2023 National CBEM Report is available now. The report reflects the early impact of the pandemic through the analysis of CDC mortality data from 2017-2021 and includes alarming cause-of-death trends during this time period. Download the national report for more details.

The information in the National Report and State Reports will be updated annually as new data is available.

CBEM ToolKit Available for Download with State and County Specific Estimates

Judi’s House/JAG Institute has created a toolkit to help others use the most recently released CBEM data to improve public awareness about the magnitude of childhood bereavement. Explore this toolkit and download customizable materials including key messages, social media posts, and graphics for your state.

These resources can help you quantify and contextualize childhood bereavement as a public health issue in your community to help you bring more awareness and funding to this largely overlooked issue.