Newsletter July 2022 Family bereavement services

The Family Bereavement Support Programme has for many years supported families who are bereaved.

The programme offers monthly evening parent support groups and annual sibling bereavement support groups

Parent groups are usually held onsite at RCH. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, groups are currently held via zoom.  Please email us at bereavement.services@rch.org.au for details or click here for monthly dates  

The programme also offers bereavement counselling, referrals to specialist community support services, education, information and support to hospital staff about bereavement issues and publishes a monthly newsletter.Together with the RCH Chaplaincy an Annual Memorial Service is also conducted. 

RCH Foundation funeral assistance fund

The Royal Children's Hospital Foundation has provided funding to assist bereaved families with the cost of their child's funeral. The Funeral Assistance Fund is administered by the Social Work Department, but can be offered to families by Hospital Managers, Associate Unit Managers, Wadja Case Managers and Social Workers. The Fund is available to families who experience financial difficulties when their child:

• dies at RCH
• dies at home or at Very Special Kids and the family was receiving support from the Victorian Palliative Care Program
• dies at home, but was a patient of the RCH and a Social Worker has found the family to be experiencing financial difficulty.

Specific exclusions include families who will receive funding through the Children's Cancer Centre (The Empty Chair: Grief and Celebrationsall patients), and families who will receive funding from TAC.

Brochure

• Also available for download Family Bereavement Support Programme

Newsletters

The newsletter is a resource for all parents, especially those who cannot come to the monthly support groups. It provides a way of capturing the presentation and the group discussion. We welcome contributions from parents as a way of sharing your grief experience and connecting with other families also grieving. Stories, poems, information on helpful resources, practical suggestions and book reviews are much appreciated. 

Title	Month/year
What would you tell your child?	November 2022
“Understanding grief—am I normal”.	July 2022
“Living and Remembering”.	May 2022
Different expressions of grief – how people grieve differently	April 2022”.
How Has grief cHanged your perspective on life?	March 2022
Newsletter December 2021	December 2021
The impact of grief on relationships with children and young people in your life	November 2021
‘Grieving together: A couple’s perspective’	October 2021
Newsletter July 2021	July 2021
Moving through the world with grief	June 2021
What Helps and What Hinders Grief	February 2021
July Newsletter	July
March Bereavement Newsletter	March 2020
Morning from what could have been to what is - Adjusting to life without your child	February 2020
'The Empty Chair: Grief and Celebrations'	December
.Riduals that Support Grief	November
Issues Thoughts or Concerns	October 2019
The Impact of Grief on Communication	September 2019
Looking after yourself each day: who and what can you draw on to help you?	August 2019
Connecting with your Child and Looking after Yourself via Music and Imagery	July 2019
Thinking about feeling-how do we process intense emotions	June 2019
The Public and private me - coexisting with contradiction	May 2019
Including your child in Easter rituals	April 2019
Cultural expectations and understanding of grief - how they can help or hinder individual grief	March 2019
Moving between Loss and Restoration: the Rhythm of Grief	February 2019
Looking forward, looking back-taking your child with you through the season of sun, family and celebrations	December 2018
"Grief is like.......putting words to grief"	November 2018
What do you think professionals should know about caring for the dying child and family	October 2018
Expressing emotion to music	September 2018
Stories: our children's stories and our own as we navigate our changed lives	August 2018
Navigating anger and other difficult emotions - The many facets of grief	July 2018
Where did the old me go, who am I now and how do I let people know?	June 2018
Grief and literature - what have you found it helps?	May 2018
How do we talk to children about death, and about our own grief	April 2018
Reflections on decision making in the most difficult time of your life	March 2018
Back to business - another year without my child	February 2018
'Tis the season to be...?	December 2017
The dilemma of investing in life while remembering and honouring your child	November 2017
What can we learn from differing cultural expressions of grief, death and mourning	October 2017
Sharing stories of your child	September 2017
Negotiating new relationships - new children, new friends, new partner	August 2017
The stories we tell and the meaning we make of them	July 2017
Connecting with your child - does it have to be in pain	June 2017
When grief is all - encompassing is it possible to think of others?	May 2017
The experience of grief; Where am I and am I normal?	April 2017