In 1996, a group of pediatric nurses working with cancer patients in Pittsburgh, searched in vain for a program that would help siblings who had experienced the death of a brother, sister, father or mother. In response, local community organizations and professionals founded their own organization and called it the Pittsburgh Center for Grieving Children.
Eventually, Highmark Caring Foundation was asked to take on the grieving children’s needs by establishing a support program. The result was the Highmark Caring Place, A Center for Grieving Children, Adolescents, and Their Families located in downtown Pittsburgh.
Today, Highmark Caring Place also includes facilities in Erie, Camp Hill (near Harrisburg), and Warrendale, Pa., offering services at no cost to grieving families and requiring no insurance.
The organization provides peer support, referral services, educational programs, and adult telephone support and resources to children and their families who’ve experienced the death of someone important to them. It serves as a safe space where they can come together and be with others who understand what they’re going through.
Highmark Caring Place also offers support for schools and other professionals who work with children, including in-school peer support, consultation services, educational presentations and training, and educational materials on topics like “Questions Grieving Children Ask” or “Preparing a Child for a Funeral or Cremation”
Its larger mission is to raise awareness in the community about grieving children’s needs and how to respond to them.
Visit the organization’s website at highmarkcaringplace.com and learn more about what grief can look like for children and their families, as well as ways to get involved, give, and attend special events.
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