Introduction to Grief Support Series | Silent Grievers: Supporting Siblings After Infant Loss Through Honest Communication and Connection

Introduction to Grief Support Series | Silent Grievers: Supporting Siblings After Infant Loss Through Honest Communication and Connection

This webinar is part of an ongoing series that will provide a foundation of introductory information for anyone working with or providing support to children, teens, and families who may be grieving. This series is not progressive; sessions can be viewed in any order.

Siblings of infant loss are often the “forgotten grievers.” While parents receive the focus of support, children frequently navigate their grief in silence. Some spend months joyfully anticipating a new baby, only to have that hope shattered in an instant. Others meet their baby sibling only to say goodbye, while many never meet the baby at all yet still live with the weight of their absence.

This session equips professionals, caregivers, and parents with research-backed strategies to validate and support these siblings while fostering emotional resilience. A key focus will be on the language we use to explain death and how vague statements like “went to sleep” or “we lost the baby” can cause confusion, fear, and mistrust. Participants will gain tools for delivering clear, compassionate, and developmentally appropriate explanations that help children process their grief safely.

The session begins with “Through Their Eyes,” a reflective group activity where participants examine real-world vignettes and step into the perspective of grieving siblings. After exploring evidence-based principles for supporting siblings of infant loss, participants will engage in “Find the Words,” a hands-on exercise to practice reframing confusing or euphemistic statements into language that promotes trust, clarity, and connection.

Attendees will leave with practical tools, including language guides, sibling-support strategies, and memory-making prompts to help families foster open communication and inclusion. This session blends research and real-world application, giving participants confidence and actionable skills to better support siblings affected by infant loss.

members only iconThis playback is available to active NACG members only.

Members must be logged into the member portal to access the playback. Not currently a member? Become a NACG member today! Your membership will provide access to free monthly webinars with CEs on current topics to support you in your work, discounts on educational events, access to all webinar playbacks, and more. To learn more and become a member to access this webinar for no additional cost, visit HERE →

 

Continuing Education (CE) credits are not available for webinar playbacks.
Target Audience: Students, interns, individuals entering the field of childhood bereavement, new staff members, new counselors, group facilitators, volunteers, anyone who wants to invest in their practice.
Instructional Level: Basic – This best describes a topic or issue that the prospective audience is encountering for the first time in a meaningful way.
Format: Live Interactive Webinar

 

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Identify the unique grief experiences of siblings after infant loss, including children “born into grief” after a loss.
  • Demonstrate clear, compassionate, and developmentally appropriate language when explaining a sibling’s death.
  • Recognize subtle signs of sibling grief and validate overlooked emotional needs, including shattered anticipation and lack of closure.
  • Create opportunities for siblings to participate in memory-making and ongoing conversations to foster inclusion and resilience.

 

Speaker Bios:

Michelle Cramer is the Founder and Executive Director of On Angels’ Wings, a nonprofit organization providing therapeutic photography, grief support, and long-term wellness resources to families navigating infant and child loss or caring for medically fragile children. As an Advanced Certified Grief Recovery Method Specialist, Michelle has spent 18 years supporting grieving families and developing tools to foster healing. Her expertise lies in helping families, caregivers, and professionals validate and include siblings impacted by infant loss while modeling healthy communication and coping strategies.

 

Tender Moments: Guiding Preschoolers and Families Through the Journey of Grief

Participants will explore how preschoolers understand and process loss, effective ways to foster emotional expression in safe and supportive environments, and how to engage family members in meaningful conversations about healing. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, this session equips educators, caregivers, and community members with tools to recognize the signs of grief, provide comfort, and build resilience for children and families navigating difficult times.

members only iconThis playback is available to active NACG members only.

Members must be logged into the member portal to access the playback. Not currently a member? Become a NACG member today! Your membership will provide access to free monthly webinars with CEs on current topics to support you in your work, discounts on educational events, access to all webinar playbacks, and more. To learn more and become a member to access this webinar for no additional cost, visit HERE →

 

Continuing Education (CE) credits are not available for webinar playbacks.
Target Audience: Counselors, Social workers, Bereavement support professionals, school professionals
Instructional Level: Basic – This best describes a topic or issue that the prospective audience is encountering for the first time in a meaningful way
Format: Live Interactive Webinar

 

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Recognize developmental differences in how preschool-aged children understand and express grief compared to older children and adults.
  • Identify signs of grief in young children and family members, including emotional, behavioral, and physical responses.
  • Apply developmentally appropriate strategies (such as play, storytelling, and routine support) to help preschoolers process loss in a safe and nurturing way.
  • Engage families with sensitivity and empathy, providing resources and communication tools that promote resilience and healing within the home and classroom.

 

Speaker Bio:

My name is Doris McCoy, LBSW/MSW-IPR, and I bring more than 37 years of experience as a Social Work Consultant in health care, managed care, and early childhood education. I hold a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Prairie View A&M University and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Houston, where I now serve as Vice President of the Graduate College of Social Work Alumni Board Association. Much of my career has been dedicated to addressing the great needs of the communities I serve, providing advocacy, education, and practical support to families, children, and professionals. Early in my career, my retired professor, Sandra Lopez, affirmed that I have a gift and unique skills in the area of grief and bereavement. That insight has guided my path and deepened my commitment to supporting individuals and families during life’s most difficult transitions. In addition to direct service, I am a certified Community Health Worker Instructor, an American Heart Association CPR/BLS Instructor, and a TECPDS Master Trainer. My work integrates grief and bereavement into trainings that equip professionals with strategies to respond with empathy, build resilience, and strengthen the capacity of communities to heal and thrive.

 

My name is Jackie Hopkins, RN, and I bring a wealth of diverse knowledge and experience as a Registered Nurse. In addition to my clinical background, I am a TECPDS-certified Trainer and Certified CPR Instructor, dedicated to equipping individuals and organizations with the skills they need to succeed. I am especially passionate about teaching and supporting my community in the areas of **grief and bereavement**, where I see a tremendous need for compassionate guidance and resources. Through my work, I strive to provide training that is both practical and meaningful, blending healthcare expertise with empathy to meet people where they are. My goal is to empower others, whether in professional development or in personal healing, by offering education and support that strengthens individuals, families, and the wider community.

Introduction to Grief Support Series | Why Evaluation Matters

In this webinar, we will discuss why program evaluation should be considered an essential practice for all childhood bereavement support agencies. If you are new to the field, you will learn about program evaluation in general and more specific applications for the bereavement field. We will also provide examples of how you may be included in the evaluation process, regardless of your role, and describe resources that can support evaluation work.

members only iconThis playback is available to active NACG members only.

Members must be logged into the member portal to access the playback. Not currently a member? Become a NACG member today! Your membership will provide access to free monthly webinars with CEs on current topics to support you in your work, discounts on educational events, access to all webinar playbacks, and more. To learn more and become a member to access this webinar for no additional cost, visit HERE →

 

Continuing Education (CE) credits are not available for webinar playbacks.
Target Audience: Counselors, Social workers, Bereavement support professionals
Instructional Level: Basic – This best describes a topic or issue that the prospective audience is encountering for the first time in a meaningful way.
Format: Live Interactive Webinar

 

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the purpose of program evaluation.
  • Understand your role in program evaluation.
  • Understand how to continue to grow evaluation.

 

Speaker Bios:

Maria Bartini, PhD, is the Evaluation Manager at Judi’s House/JAG Institute. With a doctoral degree in Life-Span Developmental Psychology from the University of Georgia, she has over 20 years’ experience teaching research methods, statistics, and child development at the college level. In her academic career, she also conducted evaluation research in schools, colleges, and youth sports organizations with the overarching goal of improving the lives of children and adolescents. In addition to heading the organization’s Childhood Bereavement Changemaker Initiative, Maria contributes to the evaluation and research activities at Judi’s House. Her work focuses on building evaluation/data utilization capacity in the field of childhood bereavement and evaluating the impact of Judi’s House services. She can be reached at mariab@judishouse.org.

Madeline (Maddy) Saunders, MS, works as a Research Associate at Judi’s House/JAG Institute. In her role she helps lead the Childhood Bereavement Changemaker expansion, collaborating with organizations across the country to support implementation of data-informed strategies in decision-making, program implementation, and evaluation. Maddy holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Psychology with concentrations in Evaluation Research and Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She can be reached at maddyv@judishouse.org.

Drum It Out!

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Leading With Courage in the Chaos

Parent and Child Adaptive Tasks After a Death

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Growing Your Reach Online: Using the Internet to Expand Your Grief Practice

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You Put the Oxygen Mask on First: Grieving Adults Parenting the Grieving Child

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