Youth Grief Services is here to help you and your children at one of life’s most difficult times.  We have three on-going programs to meet your needs.  All our services are offered free-of-charge.

• Camp Erin, an annual 3-day camp 
  in partnership with The Moyer Foundation
• Telephone support and evaluation.
• Youth grief support with adult grief education and support series.

Camp Erin
Camp Erin is the largest network of bereavement camps in the country. Through a partnership with The Moyer Foundation, Camp Erin-Twin Cities is an annual, three-day bereavement camp for children ages 6-17, who have experienced the death of a family member of friend.

Learn more about Camp Erin Twin Cities.
 
For more information or to register for Camp Erin-Twin Cities, call 952-892-2111.  

Telephone Support and Evaluation – When a loved one dies, parents and caregivers enter into new territory.  Often we aren’t sure what our kids’ need or how to give it to them.  Youth Grief Services is here to help you sort through your unique situation and provide some direction to help you and your children move forward.  We connect families to needed services and provide expert guidance during the difficult and confusing time that follows a loved one’s death.  This service is free of charge – just call us at 952-892-2111 or email us with your phone number and a good time to call you back.

Youth Grief Support and Adult Grief Education and Support Series – This research-based support program is open to children and teens, ages 4-18, who have experienced the death of someone they love.  The adults in their lives are invited to attend either an educational class about childhood grief or an adult support group, while their children attend age-appropriate support groups.  The series meets once a week for 7 weeks in Burnsville, Minnesota on the Fairview Ridges campus.

Children and teens attend small support groups divided by age.  Each group is led by a trained volunteer and supervised by our staff.  Activities are hands-on and age appropriate.  Each week we focus on a different topic, including:

• Telling the story and remembering.
• Understanding death rituals, like funerals, cremation and burial;
• Identifying & safely expressing feelings, including anger management techniques and coping with regrets;
• Coping with changes in social and economic status, including new schools due to a move and dating & remarriage;
• Saying good-bye & celebrating our loved one’s life and memory.

Our adult grief education classes are open to all the caring adults in a grieving child’s life – parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, daycare providers and other caregivers.  You will learn how grief affects children at different ages, what to expect in the years to come, and what is normal and what is not.  We’ll share strategies for helping your children as they grieve and tips for parenting a grieving child or teens. 

The next youth grief support group will meet every other Thursday evening from January 29 through April 16. The group will be held from 6:45-7:45 p.m. at Ebenezer Ridges - 13800 Community Drive Burnsville, MN 55337. There is no fee to attend, but pre-registration is required. 

Register for our next youth grief support group.  Need more information, call us at 952-892-2111 or send us an email. 

Want more information about Youth Grief Services?
Click here to see a short video about our support series. (Windows Media)

Want to know what past participants thought of the program?  Click here to learn more about other families’ experiences with our support and education series. 

Who we are
How we help
What you need to know
How you can make a difference for grieving children