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.

• Telephone support and evaluation.
• Youth grief support with adult grief education and support series.
• Camp Starbright, our annual 2-day camp.

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. 

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. 

Click here to register for the next adult grief education and support series.  Need more information, call us at 952-892-2111 or send us an email. 

Camp Starbright
Camp Starbright is a free 2-day camp for children and teens, ages 8-18 years old, who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling.  Camp Starbright happens each May in nearby Hudson, Wisconsin.

At Camp Starbright, the focus is on the kids!  We combine all the fun and excitement of camp with time to get to know other kids who have had a family member die.  So along with our campfires and camp songs, cookouts and challenge courses, games and crafts, we also blend in some learning about grief and about each other.  As we spend time playing and hanging out together over the weekend, most campers feel comfortable enough to share their experiences, their concerns, and their questions with other campers and their camp counselors.

During this unique camp weekend, genuine connections are made among campers.   Because we use play as a way to process emotions and new information, we reach our campers at their level.  Campers learn that they are not the only ones to experience the death of a family member, and there is a sense of belonging.  Lasting friendships often develop out of this supportive and fun weekend.  These on-going relationships provide a natural support network, that lasts long after the camp experience has ended.

We know that grief camp doesn’t sound like something fun, so we’ve put our camp video on to show you.  Click here to see for yourself! Then once you’ve watched, click here to get more information on the next Camp Starbright. 

Like all our services, Camp Starbright is offered at no-charge.  This is made possible by the generous contributions of Fairview employees, volunteers, and Fairview Health Services.  Additionally, Camp Starbright is supplemented by on-going support from the Moyer Foundation and the Tom Burnett Jr. Family Foundation. 

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