In Maui County, approximately 1900 children have had a parent or sibling die. By age 18, 1 in 5 children in the U.S. will have had someone close to them die.
These numbers should alert us to the issue of unaddressed grief, which can cause depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, alcohol and substance abuse, truancy, and relationship problems as the child matures and moves into adulthood.
November 15, 2018, is National Children’s Grief Awareness Day, a day to think about the children and teens you know who might be living with unprocessed grief.
Awareness is increasing, and programs such as Nā Keiki O Emalia are springing up across the U.S. and around the world.
Nā Keiki O Emalia runs ongoing peer support bereavement groups for keiki, teens and their adults at no cost to participants. The NKOE website has videos about the importance of helping grieving keiki. For information, visit www.nkoemaui.org, call Dr. Brooke Brown at 808.214.9832, or email [email protected].
