What does it cost to participate in Grief Groups? Kids’ Haven is supported by gifts, grants, and fundraisers that enable us to provide grief support without any cost to participants.

Where are Grief Group Nights held? Kids’ Haven Group Nights currently are held in the educational spaces of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lynchburg, as part of that church’s outreach to the community. Kids’ Haven is a non-denominational program.

How long does Kids’ Haven’s Group Grief program take to complete? Grieving is a journey, not an event. Coming to a place of peace with your unique grief circumstances will take as long as it needs to take. Children are welcome to remain with the Kids’ Haven program for as long as they feel they continue to have grief work to do. And, for whatever reasons may make it necessary, former participants always may return to Group Night.

Are conversations at Kids’ Haven private? What happens at Kids’ Haven stays at Kids’ Haven. Matters of confidentiality are discussed before participants attend their first group gathering, and all participants over the age of 10 are asked to make a confidentiality agreement with Kids’ Haven and with other family members. Group leaders meet after each Group Night, that they may support one another and help one another with any problems encountered. Except in that context, no participant is ever identified nor any conversation repeated outside the Group Night arena; neither child nor adult conversations are reported to other family members. The only exception to the confidentiality rules will be in the event a participant suggests intent to harm self or others. A list of professional counselors is available for referrals when it appears that Group Night support is insufficient for a family’s needs.

Are there other Group “rules?” Besides the rules of confidentiality, the only other Kids’ Haven rule is one of respect for other participants and their feelings. Each participant is free to express any emotion being experienced—anger, despair, silliness, numbness, guilt—without discourteous reactions from other participants.

Must I participate in group conversations? No — for identification purposes, each participant is asked to state his/her name and the name and cause of death of the personbeing grieved. Otherwise, participants may sit quietly and listen, taking part only as they wish.

What if I need a support group but do not live near Kids’ Haven? The following site provides a listing of similar grief support centers throughout the country. Click on Center Locater from the home page at www.dougy.org

Kids’ Haven also maintains an extensive reference/lending library both for the grieving and for those who care for them.

To support your on-line research, www.childrensfriend.org/grief.html offers on-line links to a variety of web sites dedicated to the understanding and care of grieving children.

Click here to e-mail Kids’ Haven with any questions that remain unanswered.

The only cure for grief is grieving.
-Dana (Mrs. Christopher) Reeve