Today, it is estimated that 1 in 11 children in the United States will experience the death of a parent or sibling before the age of 18 (Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model, Judi’s House). What began as a Children’s Grief Awareness Day has grown into a month-long awareness campaign, addressing an often-overlooked issue: childhood bereavement. Each November, Children’s Grief Awareness Month illuminates the needs of grieving children and the importance of support and resources for their grief journey.
Since 2008, the New York Life Foundation has championed this cause, working alongside experts to create and disseminate resources, build awareness, and offer best practices for supporting grieving children. This year, the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) is partnering with the New York Life Foundation and Knology to launch Healing with Play, a field-wide initiative recognizing the unique role children’s museums can play during Children’s Grief Awareness Month.
Children’s museums are trusted community partners and safe spaces where children can process and express difficult feelings, thoughts, and behaviors through play. In providing these supportive environments, museums help strengthen resilience in children and families facing loss, while advancing the field’s commitment to trauma-informed practices and programming.
Through Healing with Play, select children’s museums will share resources, offer guidance on age-appropriate language, and host bereavement-related events and activities that honor grieving children. Particular attention will be given to preschool-aged children and those under five, often the “forgotten grievers,” to highlight their unique needs and to emphasize the critical importance of early support in their development.
Museums interested in participating in this initiative will be able to share tools and resources with their communities to support grieving children and families. Museums participating in this initiative will be supported through a virtual awareness training led by grief experts, communication templates and messaging that can be customized, and provided access to a resources for both museums staff and caregivers.
If your children’s museums would like to participate in Healing with Play, please register today. If your museum is not planning on participating this year but you either have related grief/bereavement programming or you are interested in possibly participating in the future, please also fill out this form.
Participating ACM member museums may be eligible for funding to offset some costs related to participation. Stipends of $250 will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to museums with operating budgets under $1 million USD and/or those located in/serving underserved communities.
ACM will be sharing resources to help museums understand and prepare for Healing with Play as well as recommended resources for children and families. Our resources pages will be available this fall.
We recommend exploring our recent ACM Trends Reports that serve as a guide to getting started:
