Many adults feel apprehensive or unprepared to speak to young people about illness, dying, and death, often due to a desire to protect them from the pain of grief. However, children have expressed their desire to be informed about a family member’s diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, end-of-life care, and death. Many children and youth wished to be told the truth as fully and as soon as possible, to be included in rituals following a death, and to be recognized as grievers alongside adults.

Communicating with children about dying, death, and grief can be very challenging, but having honest, early, and open communication can benefit a child by:

• Making illness, death, and grief a safe, rather than taboo, subject
• Reducing the likelihood of hearing the news accidentally or from people less informed
• Lessening the likelihood of imagining scenarios that leave them more anxious and fearful
• Inviting children to ask questions and be open with people they trust
• Helping children understand the physical or emotional changes they may be seeing
• Inviting them to think about how they would like to be involved with the person who is ill or dying
• Giving children the chance to say goodbye in a way that is right for them

For more information on the benefits of facilitating early and honest conversations with grieving children, please visit: www.kidsgrief.ca

Our HUUG counsellors provide support to:

• Families living in Peel (Brampton, Mississauga, Malton)
• Children aged 0-18 years old
• Children who have a family member who has a serious or terminal illness
• All bereaved children and families, regardless of the time since the death
• Referrals from any source, including self-referrals.
• Children with a serious or terminal illness

For HUUG (Help Us Understand Grief) support in Halton please contact Julie Robertson at Acclaim Health: jrobertson@acclaimhealth.ca

Heart House Hospice no longer provides support in Halton. 

Our HUUG Counsellors work in the home of the grieving child, youth and family. The average number of visits they provide is 6-8 but the number of visits and schedule will be planned with focus on child and families needs.

• Have open, honest, and age appropriate conversations with the child
• Understand grief, illness, dying and death
• Identify and express feelings
• Address worries and fears
• Express hope and wishes
• Identify support systems
• Develop coping strategies
• Create memories and legacy projects
• Live with and adapt to their new normal

Through the use of books, therapuetic games, art, play and music, our HUUG counsellors help children, youth and families address the difficult topics and feelings that illness, grief, dying and death raise. Our HUUG team is passionate about supporting children, teens, and families experiencing significant life changes and losses, through serious illness and death. Our Counsellors draw on creative mediums, such as play, music, and art to help children and teens explore and process the changes in their lives. We believe in a family-centred and strengths-based approach to counselling and work with parents to identify and meet your child’s unique needs.

Ally is an Early Childhood Educator and a Certified Child Life Specialist. Ally also has her Master’s in Education.

Kimberly has a BA in Psychology and Child and Youth Studies, an ECE diploma and a MC in Counselling Psychology. Kimberly is a registered Psychotherapist and a Certified Play Therapist. Kimberly has several years experience working with children and youth in the areas of mental health and grief and loss in schools and other counselling agencies.

Jody is a Certified Child Life Specialist with her Bachelor of Health Sciences degree and a Certificate in Thantology/Grief and Bereavement Studies. Jody has many years of experience working/volunteering with children in a variety of settings including some of our grief and bereavement partner organizations Philip Aziz, Gilda’s Club and Dr. Jays.

Nicky completed her BA in Psychology at Queens and her Master of Science degree in Child Life and Pediatrics Psychosocial Care at McMaster. Nicky has lots of experience from work with other partner organizations including Camp Oochigeas, Camp Erin, Emily’s House, Andrea Warnick Consulting and Dr. Jays.