Grieving children need more than our sympathy. They need a place to belong.

Children who lose a close family member grieve differently than adults, and their grief changes as they grow. A loss experienced at 8 can take on an entirely different meaning at 12, 16 or 25. A child can be deeply sad and still want to swim, make art, play games and laugh with friends. HopeHealth makes room for all of it at Camp Braveheart.

This summer, 100 grieving children and teens attended our day camp at Camp Hoffman in South Kingstown with another 75 experiencing the camp offered in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. Camp BraveHeart is a free, two-day grief support camp for youngsters ages 5 to 17 who have experienced the death of someone they love. 

Those 175 campers are part of a much larger population whose needs can easily go unseen. According to the 2026 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model, 1 in 11 children in the United States —- about 6.6 million —- will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. That number does not include children grieving the deaths of grandparents, other relatives, friends or other significant people in their lives. 

There is something powerful about a child discovering that they are not the only one. Being surrounded by peers who understand can replace some of that isolation with connection and belonging. Research suggests that this kind of setting can make a difference. A 2025 systematic review of 31 studies of grief camps found positive effects on participants’ grief and psychosocial functioning. This research reflects what I have witnessed firsthand watching our campers whisper to a horse, nuzzle a fluffy cat and gather together in a circle to lift up a colorful parachute.

This summer, as we marked our 20th anniversary, Randi Gilmore returned with three of her five children — Jackson, Katie and Megan — who were among the youngsters who attended our inaugural camp after their family experienced tremendous loss. 

Megan was 9 when she first attended. She came back each summer until she aged out at 17, and two of the Gilmore siblings later came back as counselors, helping other children experience the same sense of belonging they found. Their story is shared in HopeHealth’s 20th-anniversary Camp BraveHeart story. 

Seeing the family again two decades later was deeply moving. Their return was a powerful reminder that grief does not follow a timetable.

Children grow around their grief, and new milestones can bring new emotions and questions. That is why support cannot end in the weeks or months after a death. For those of us who work in hospice and palliative care, bereavement support is part of caring for the whole family. But many grieving children never had a loved one in hospice, and families may not know where to turn. Strong connections among grief organizations, schools, health care providers and community partners can help families find support when they need it.

We see that broader approach in HopeHealth’s Weekend of Hope & Healing for grieving adults and caregivers and in community outreach, including our recent participation in a Cranston Public Schools Wellness Fair. 

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo joined Camp BraveHeart’s closing ceremony on Aug. 21, where they met campers and presented a proclamation recognizing HopeHealth and the camp’s 20th anniversary. Their presence was a welcome opportunity to share this work with leaders who help shape the resources available to children and families. 

None of this work happens without the people who carry it forward. Camp BraveHeart continues under the compassionate leadership of Marsha Ireland, HopeHealth’s manager of grief support services and camp director, alongside a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. 

Twenty years after our first camp, the lesson remains simple: We cannot take away a child’s loss, but we can surround them — and the people who care for them — with the support they need to find their way through it.