Utah leaders announced earlier this year that for the first time, surviving children of deceased parents or caregivers will be notified of resources that provide grief support.
One of those resources is the Grandview Grief Center, a project by the nonprofit Grandview for Good. A first for Davis County, the goal of the center is to “provide support and resources for families who are experiencing grief and loss,” said Amanda Grow, who serves as executive director at the nonprofit.
“The main funding priority is to support children who have lost parents or siblings, because the impact when you experience a loss like that in childhood is so far reaching across your whole lifespan,” she said.
The grief center comes at a crucial time, according to the Utah Legislature, as 1 in 14 young people will experience a death of a parent or caregiver before reaching the age of 18. After the pandemic, efforts to create a system of support for bereaved children amplified, leading to the creation of the grief center. It initially received funding from a grant by the New York Life Foundation.
While the center has a focus on children, the service extends to families and anyone experiencing grief.
“They have access to therapy specifically,” Grow said. “Our nonprofit provides therapy groups and access to funding for individual therapy for families who have lost a person. And we have some upcoming groups. They’re all completely free. These groups are funded by a Davis County Social Services Block Grant, which is what allows them to be free for for families in our community.”
For adults who are dealing with grief and don’t have children, they will not be turned away. Instead they will be seen on a case-by-case basis. At the center, someone would be assigned a case manager or “Grandview advocate,” and the advocate will then assess the situation and the resources the person would need.
The center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, where the newly crowned Mrs. Davis, Katie Wood, announced childhood grief awareness as her official platform for the upcoming Mrs. Utah pageant.
Wood expressed her own experience with grief — at 5 years old, her father lost his sister and father to a tragic drowning accident. The effects of that tragedy can still be felt 50 years later, Wood said.
“That is why today means so much. With this center, no family in our community will ever have to face that silence or isolation again. Here, children will have a place to ask questions and express their feelings in healthy ways. Parents and grandparents will find tools to help guide their families through loss. Teens — who often grieve differently than adults — will find understanding and connection,” Wood said.
“The collaboration among community partners is a true strength of Davis County,” said Teresa Smith, community outreach planner for the Davis County Health Department. “The health department, along with other community partners, has come together to compassionately support those who are grieving. Providing books for the children’s library is a small way to encourage hope and healing for all ages.”
The services the center provides extends to Davis County residents only; however, according to Grow, the center has additional funding sources that would allow for the center to expand its services outside of Davis County.