Grief hurts.
The Center can help.

The Center for Grieving Children offers a variety of programs and resources to help address different types of grief for children, their families, and adults working with children who are grieving. Peer support groups meet at our Portland and Sanford locations, and online.

Community outreach and education takes place on-site and in virtual settings, as well as through phone and email.

We are here for you.

Bereavement

Support & resources when someone close dies

Expressing feelings in a safe place is part of the healing process after a death. At the Center, children, teens, young adults, and adults benefit from a supportive environment where they can be with others who have experienced similar losses. We provide peer support groups for children ages 3-18 and their parents and caregivers; young adults ages 19-30; and bereaved parents and young widowers/partners.

Tender Living Care

Helping families cope with serious illness

From the point of diagnosis, a life-impacting illness affects everyone in the family. The Center provides Peer Support Groups for children ages 3-18, with separate groups for the adult with the illness and the adult caregiver, and young adults age 19-30. We also provide phone support, and community outreach and education.

Intercultural

Creating healing communities for our youth

Since 1997, the Center’s Intercultural Peer Support Program has collaborated with Portland Public Schools and others to serve children, teens, and their families who have resettled locally from countries experiencing war, persecution, and natural disaster. Children’s Peer Support Groups are held at the Center, area schools, or other organizations.

Phone Support

One-on-one support for those in need

Have a question? Just call us! We’re here during regular business hours to answer your questions and offer you support. Our program staff take thousands of calls each year from people wondering “How should I tell my child about a death in the family?” or “How do I help my students after the death of their classmates?” or “How do my children and I join one of your groups?” If you have a question or concern, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Community Webinars

Learning more about grief and loss

Together, we will stay true to our mission – providing a safe space, loving peer support, outreach, and education to grieving children, teens, families and the community. To help support our families and the community during Covid-19, we began hosting webinars with fellow experts on a variety of topics related to grief and loss, and will continue offering such resources to our community.

Outreach and Training

Education and response for schools and community

When the school and community is impacted by the death or serious illness of a student or staff member, The Center for Grieving Children is available for school visits, phone support, or on-site visits. The Center staff can offer support and resources to staff, talk with and answer questions from students, and help provide the resources needed to help the school and its community grieve in a healthy way.

Get in touch with us!

(207) 775-5216
Interested in joining the Center? We’re here to answer any questions you may have about our services and what we can do for you. Please don’t hesitate to call or send us a message.