Grief Matters for Children, a three-year campaign run by the Childhood Bereavement Network, part of the National Children's Bureau, wants people working with children and young people to have the 'confidence and competence' to manage the impact of bereavement.
Policy and communications co-ordinator Alison Penny said it was vital that nursery practitioners and teachers feel able to respond to the diverse needs of bereaved children. 'Every 30 minutes, the mother or father of someone under 18 in the UK dies. That's almost 20,000 young people each year. Most of us find death an uncomfortable subject and it can be confusing for a child when no-one wants to talk about what's happened.'
During the first year the campaign will focus on raising awareness within educational settings and ensuring that staff have appropriate training.
Free training materials for early years practitioners, including a short animated DVD, 'Not Too Young To Grieve', are available at www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk.
