One in 14 children in the United States is expected to experience the death of a sibling or parent before age 18, placing them at risk for mental health challenges and behavioral, social, and academic difficulties. Despite the high prevalence of childhood bereavement and its risk factors, grieving children are often overlooked, and services are under-resourced. The family is recognized as the primary source of support for the grieving child, but parents’ own grief can hinder their ability to guide and comfort their surviving children. This capstone project centered on the development of a tangible, age-appropriate, evidence-based grief support resource aimed at promoting the mental health of three to 12-year-old children in the first year following the death of a sibling.
