Childhood Grief Facts & Figures

Rates of childhood grief 

  • Over 5 million U.S. children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the time they are 18.
  • 1/5  U.S. children are grieving the death of someone close to them

The need to Talk About Grief 

COVID-19 and grief 

Potential impacts of childhood bereavement 

  • Childhood grief is associated with: developmental disruptions, including relationship, academic, and career functioning; substance abuse; mental health challenges, including depression and suicide; and poverty
  • Death has an intergenerational impact. Among adults who lost a parent when they were growing up, 79% said that when they became a parent, they missed having the guidance of the parent who died. 80% said the experience was the hardest thing they ever had to face.
  • A report by New York Life Foundation and American Federation of Teachers found that students who have lost a parent or guardian typically exhibit:
    • Difficulty concentrating in class (observed by 87% of teachers)
    • Withdrawal/disengagement and less class participation (observed by 82%)
    • Absenteeism (observed by 72%)
    • Decrease in quality of work (observed by 68%)
    • Less reliability in turning in assignments (observed by 66%)

Experience Camps by the Numbers

  • In 2021, we had 700 campers at camps in Maine, California, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
  • More than 80% of eligible campers return each summer
  • We’ve averaged a 38% growth rate in camper numbers over the last 5 years.

Statistics in Our Camper Population:

Relationship of deseased to camper statistics.