New network to support bereaved children

SOME 3,360 Irish 16-year-olds may have experienced the death of one or both parents, a new study has estimated.

The study carried out for the Irish Hospice Foundation also estimated that between 36,000 and 60,000 children in Ireland could have experienced significant bereavement.

It was released to coincide with the setting up of the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network, which will act as a hub for professionals and organisations working with bereaved children.

“The network is about ensuring that every bereaved child gets the most appropriate support for them, when they need it,” Dr Susan Delaney, bereavement services manager at the Irish Hospice Foundation, said yesterday.

The first point of support for a grieving child was the family but a grieving parent “may not be emotionally available to their children and additional support may be needed”, she added.

The Irish Childhood Bereavement Network aims to reach 70 members in its first year and is being hosted by the Irish Hospice Foundation for its first two years.

Securing funding to support the network was the next stage, Irish Hospice Foundation chief executive Sharon Foley said.

A lack of emphasis in government policy on children’s bereavement support provision was noted in the study conducted by independent researcher Dr Kathy McLoughlin.

The report identified weaknesses in the system including fragmented services, longer waiting lists for more complex bereavement support and the lack of a services directory or forum to exchange knowledge and ideas.

“This is about making sure that help gets to those young people in a timely and effective way and bringing together all those involved in bereavement,” Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald said yesterday.