One in fourteen Americans will lose a parent or sibling before age 18 and the vast majority of children experience a significant loss by the time they complete high school.
Our partner, 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.
Recognizing the critical need to provide greater support to grieving children and their families, the New York Life Foundation established childhood bereavement as a funding focus area in 2008. As our commitment to the bereavement “field” has grown, we’ve been proud to serve not only as a funder but as an active partner to a wide range of nonprofits and initiatives, helping to raise public awareness about grief’s impact as well as build community of support for this field. The issue is at the heart of our company’s mission and day-to-day business, resulting in robust employee engagement across the country in support of grieving children.
Sometimes bereavement can be difficult to put into words, and creative expression is the only way to share these emotions. We offer a scholarship program with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers to provide students with a creative outlet and financial support for their future.
Are you providing a community program to address the needs of grieving children and their families? The New York Life Foundation in partnership with the National Alliance for Grieving Children is currently accepting grant proposals for the 2021 Grief Reach Program.