Parent Booklet: After a Loved One Dies – English
Guidance for parents and other caring adults on how to support grieving children, available in nine languages.
Parent Booklet: After a Loved One Dies – Spanish
Guidance for parents and other caring adults on how to support grieving children, available in nine languages.
Parent Booklet: After a Loved One Dies – Japanese
Guidance for parents and other caring adults on how to support grieving children, available in nine languages.
Parent Booklet: After a Loved One Dies – Italian
Guidance for parents and other caring adults on how to support grieving children, available in nine languages.
Parent Booklet: After a Loved One Dies – Haitian-Creole
Guidance for parents and other caring adults on how to support grieving children, available in nine languages.
Parent Booklet: After a Loved One Dies – Tagalog
Guidance for parents and other caring adults on how to support grieving children, available in nine languages.
Parent Booklet: After a Loved One Dies – Simplified Chinese
Guidance for parents and other caring adults on how to support grieving children, available in nine languages.
Parent Booklet: After a Loved One Dies – Chinese
Guidance for parents and other caring adults on how to support grieving children, available in nine languages.
Parent Booklet: After a Loved One Dies – Korean
Guidance for parents and other caring adults on how to support grieving children, available in nine languages.
Participation of Children and Adolescents in Live Crisis Drills and Exercises
Policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Includes considerations regarding live active shooter drills in schools.
Virtual Memorial
These guidelines for school administrators and other teachers review considerations for appropriate standards and practices for hosting virtual memorials online.
Talking to Kids about Tragedies (Such as Shootings and Terror Attacks) in the News
This guide offers insight and suggestions for how to handle talking to children in relation to tragic events, such as shootings and terrorist attacks, that they are likely to hear about at school and/or on the news).
Grief Support for Children with Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
Guidelines on the how to anticipate and address the distinctive challenges faced by grieving children with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Guidelines for Responding to the Death of a Student or School Staff
Guidelines to help school teams respond to the needs of students and staff after a loss has impacted the school community. From the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.
Guidelines for Responding to a Death by Suicide
Guidelines to help school teams respond to the needs of students and staff after a suicide has impacted the school community. From the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.
Guide: School Mental Health Crisis Leadership Lessons: Voices of Experience from Leaders in the Pacific Southwest Region
Developed by the Pacific Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center with input from the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.
Guidelines for Grief Over the Holidays
Teachers and school staff are uniquely poised to observe grief responses over time and can take steps to anticipate challenges. The support and understanding that teachers offer grieving students over the holidays can be especially helpful. From the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.
Guidelines for Student Commemoration
These guidelines outline considerations and recommendations related to the reading of names at graduation ceremonies, awarding posthumous diplomas, and posting of photographs or tributes in school yearbooks of members of the school community who have died. From the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.
Guidelines: Communicating with the Family After a Student Has Died
Guidelines for schools on communicating with family members after a student has died.
Booklet: Supporting Our Students
Developed by the Coalition to Support Grieving Students, this booklet offers advice to teachers on how to support grieving students and how classmates can help.
Handout: Supporting Your Child
A handout to accompany the Supporting Our Students booklet and to advise parents and caregivers on supporting children who are grieving.
Handout: Supporting Your Child – Spanish
A handout to accompany the Supporting Our Students booklet and to advise parents and caregivers on supporting children who are grieving.
Support for Military Line-of-Duty Deaths
Guidance for the support of children and family survivors of military line-of-duty deaths. Developed in collaboration with the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) office, Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), and Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS).
Support for Police Line-of-Duty Deaths
Guidance for the support of children and family survivors of police line-of-duty deaths. Developed by the Coalition to Support Grieving Students and Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) organization.
Book: The Grieving Student: A Guide for Schools
Written by David Schonfeld and Marcia Quackenbush, this practical guidebook helps educators serve as a critical lifeline for grieving children of all ages.
Coping With the Death of a Student or Staff Member
Highlights the impact death can have on a school community and addresses emergency management planning, responding to a loss, and strategies for recovery. From the US Department of Education's ERCMExpress.
Back-to-School Considerations
Guidance on supporting students through transitions that may be tough for kids. From the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.
National Bereavement Resource Guide: State by State Bereavement Listing (New York Life and eluna)
The National Bereavement Program Guide (NBPG) is a searchable online directory of grief support organizations and programs compiled by eluna with support from the New York Life Foundation.
Camp Erin
Camp Erin is the largest national bereavement program for youth grieving the death of a significant person in their lives.
Article: Coping With Loss
Examines the critical roles principals play in establishing a school climate where students and professionals can express emotions related to difficult events. From the NAESP's Principal Magazine.
Article: School Crisis Response Initiative
Describes an organizational model for school preparedness, effective responses to crises, and the role training plays in supporting children after a crisis. From the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Bulletin.
Article: Talking With Children About Death
Advice on how nurses can assist children of all ages in dealing with the deaths of significant others or their own impending death. It also covers the supporter’s needs. From the Journal of Pediatric Healthcare.
Book: How to Prepare for and Respond to a Crisis
Steps and guidance to prepare your school and school crisis team for any crisis that touches your school.
Guidelines: Ambiguous Loss
Guidelines for recognizing and supporting ambiguous loss. From the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.
Mother’s Day may not be easy for some grieving students
A mini-article on how to support children who have lost a parent/caregiver.
Considerations for Teachers on Halloween
This guideline highlights considerations for teachers during a season in which children and teens, some who may be grieving, encounter themes of death (see also Considerations for Teachers on Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos)
Considerations for Teachers on Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos)
This guideline highlights considerations for teachers during a season in which children and teens, some who may be grieving, encounter themes of death (see also Considerations for Teachers on Halloween)
Discussions with Fellow Educators About Grief & Losses During Major Public Health Crisis and Other Disasters
Guidance on how educators can provide support to each other related to their own grief.
Grief Among Students of Color
Guidance for educators on how to support grieving children of color.
Recognizing Grief Awareness Day in Your School
Guidelines on how educators can demonstrate an awareness of grief experiences and offer support
Valentine’s Day and Grieving Students
A guide for educators on how they can help grieving students cope during Valentine’s Day.
More than 20 Years After the 9/11 Terrorist Attack
Guidance for educators on how to talk to students about the 9/11 terrorist attacks after the 20-year mark.
Back to School: Remember That Transitions Can Be Tough for Grieving Students
Supporting the Grieving Child and Family: Clinical Report
This clinical report offers practical suggestions on how to talk with grieving children to help them better understand what has happened and its implications.