The mission of the Children’s Grief Centre is to provide a free support service to children, young people and their families affected by loss following bereavement, separation, and divorce. The Centre supports between fifty and sixty children per week. The Centre has grown in demand since it was set up in 2009 offering unique one-to-one support sessions. To date it has given a voice to around 1,800 grieving young people.

Our services are free of charge which is particularly important for parents/guardians. Whether there has been a bereavement or a marital separation, private support services can be costly at a time parents maybe struggling financially.  Our free service ensures parents can bring their child or young person for the support they need without worrying about the cost and it is available for as long as it is needed.

The Centre supports Children and young people in the Mid-West region of Ireland primarily, however children travelling from further afield is now commonplace as awareness of our service increases. We support the children through the grieving process, assisting them in developing the skills necessary to live with grief and loss. We provide one-to-one support sessions to children and young people where they explore their feelings around grief and loss through activities such as play, art, workbooks and by talking to their support worker.

The young people’s expression of feelings is facilitated in a number of ways appropriate to their age, developmental stage and wishes. Listening is key, but much use is made of creative play, paint, music, and sensory materials games and workbooks. Play is one of the best ways for children to work through everything they wrestle with, from everyday challenges to anxiety, fear, and even loss and death.

We hope to expand the services due to the generous gift of a new premises at the John Henry Newman Campus at Mary Immaculate College. In 2020, the building was gifted by the Mercy Congregation, South Central Province.

In 2022, we began renovating this building with the support of the JP Manus Foundation, the Tomar Trust and many other Corporate and individual donations.

In April 2023 we will move to our new Children’s Grief Centre.  The new Centre will allow us to improve access to services and ensure the sustainable impact of the organization for years to come.  It will feature ten parking spaces, a small garden, customized art and play rooms and five support rooms, as well as staff offices.

Finally the new centre will greatly enhance our work with bereaved and grieving children, their parents, and the wider community and allow for expansion of services to create a warm welcome where children, teens and their families can find healing and hope.

Sr. Helen Culhane
South Central Province