COVE CENTER FOR GRIEVING CHILDREN INC
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Mission Statement
The Cove Center for Grieving Children’s mission is to “provide hope and healing for grieving children/teens and their families, and training for the professionals who work with them.”
About This Cause
The Cove delivers support to grieving children in the community at 7 satellite sites through our Cove Family Program for grieving children ages 4-18 years. Also through K-12 “Good Grief” Cove in Schools Programming, Pathways to Healing for young adults ages 18-25, community outreach and referral, and Professional Development Trainings. In addition, we provide a free bereavement camp experience for grieving 6-17 year olds through Camp Compassion. THE COVE FAMILY PROGRAM is in its 2nd decade of service and is provided to children and teens ages 4-18 years of age and their parents/caregivers at our 5 Family Program Sites and 3 virtual programs throughout the state of Connecticut. Our Sites serve over 400 - 550 individuals per year within a 20-week program schedule that follows the school calendar (September through June.) Grieving children and teens attend with their parents and commit to the program as a source of healing and education and to help with communication and understanding of the grief process. The program is designed to help children and teens avoid the devastating effects of unresolved grief, which may include dysfunctional behaviors, lower academic performance, depression, acting out, and higher risk for drug and alcohol dependence and teenage pregnancy. Parents and caregivers receive education and information on developmental attributes of grief and how they can positively support their child's grieving process. The Cove Family Program includes a module for each age group served (elementary, middle and high school) developed through extensive research on child development and bereavement. Each Cove site has a Site Director who is an LCSW or LMFT and parent/caregiver educator. The Site Director is supported by trained volunteer facilitators working directly with grieving children in peer support groups. Children are invited to explore, express and process their grief through age appropriate projects and activities involving art, movement, music, sports and games. 70-80% of the processing activities are art-related, to open up expression and help children to process their grief in a positive and safe environment. A Program Manual of over 1,000 activities has been developed to support each week’s theme, and each site is encouraged to develop new activities, so that families at various stages of grief will have a meaningful experience. Educational materials and resources are provided to supplement processing activities. Children are given tools to understand that their grief is a normal process that can be managed in healthy ways. Parent/Caregivers are educated to support their child's grieving process and open up family communication. This program is free and families may remain in the program for 1-3 years on average. Children and families are referred to The Cove through schools, mental health agencies, hospitals, community agencies and word of mouth. CAMP ERIN CONNECTICUT is in its 6th year of service and serves between 80 - 120 campers ages 6-17 each year in June. It is part of a network of over 45 bereavement camps overseen by The Moyer Foundation and local bereavement agencies. Campers participate in a 3-day overnight camping experience designed to help them to process their grief amongst their peers. They participate by sharing their stories and memories of their loved ones and have a public forum in which to memorialize and discuss their feelings about the death. Camp provides a safe and healing environment that is a combination of fun, traditional camp activities combined with grief processing, education and emotional support led by expert bereavement professionals and trained volunteers. Activities include grief processing and healing activities including Memory Board, Rock Walk, 4 Corners, group sharing, journaling, artwork, music and art therapy, pet therapy, martial arts and yoga, and a luminary ceremony. Traditional fun camp activities include campfire with s’mores, gaga pit, bungee jumping, zip lining, tetherball, go-karts, arts and crafts, swimming, boating and an ice cream social dance party. Each child is provided with comfort items including a Camp Erin wristband, water bottle and t-shirt, hand-made quilt, teddy bear, and healing journal.