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How we can support you

Helpline

At Child Bereavement UK we support grieving children and young people, and parents bereaved of a baby or child, to find hope and rebuild their lives. Support is available if you’re 25 or under, or if your baby or child has died or is expected to die before their 26th birthday.

Immediate bereavement support

Whether you’re facing the death of someone important, are newly bereaved or have been grieving for some time, you can reach out to Child Bereavement UK whenever you need us.

Our trained bereavement specialists are available to speak with Monday to Friday, 8am–8pm (excluding bank holidays).

Whether it’s a one-time conversation or regular support, our bereavement specialists can help you through the tough days, the milestones and everything in between.

No appointment needed or long waiting lists, just support when it’s needed.

Our bereavement specialists are accessible to everyone – whether personally bereaved or supporting someone who is.

Speak with a bereavement specialist:

By phone – call 0800 02 888 40
By text or WhatsApp – 07418 341 800 (you must be 13 or older to receive support via WhatsApp)
By email – [email protected] or use our contact form
By live chat – click the ‘Chat with us’ button

Using our helpline, live chat, email and text/WhatsApp support services

When you contact us, our bereavement specialists will give you time and space to explore your situation and provide information and emotional support.
Our bereavement specialists do not offer counselling, medical information or advice, and we are not an emergency service.
We will endeavour to source interpreters/BSL interpreters where needed/possible.
Our services are confidential but, to help us answer your queries and guide you to appropriate support, we may ask some questions about your situation, such as your geographical location, and your age, or the age of those you are supporting.
For more information about how we use any personal information you give us, see our Privacy Policy.
Our bereavement specialists are available to speak with between 8am and 8pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). Messages received out of these hours by email will be responded to as soon as possible on our next working day. Alternatively, please see our list of charities who provide out-of-hours support.
Find out about the difference between bereavement support and counselling.

I contacted the helpline for some professional support how to best support a bereaved parent, which has impacted on my own emotional well-being. It was extremely helpful to talk through my worries, whilst also exploring appropriate ways I can support the family. Their knowledge and expertise has informed my practice whilst also giving me the confidence to support the bereaved families I work with.

Latest

What helps you when someone is unkind or jokes - Junior Youth Ambassadors
How can I support a child or young person when someone important to them has a serious illness?

Bereavement specialists share ways to support a child or young person when someone important to them has a serious illness.
What I wish my friends knew about grief - Junior Youth Ambassadors
Download our PSHE lessons on loss and bereavement

Download our free PSHE lessons and resources for schools on loss and bereavement for Key Stages 1-4. These have been developed by teachers and bereavement support workers.

What helps you when someone is unkind or jokes - Junior Youth Ambassadors
How can I support a child or young person when someone important to them has a serious illness?

Bereavement specialists share ways to support a child or young person when someone important to them has a serious illness.
What I wish my friends knew about grief - Junior Youth Ambassadors
Download our PSHE lessons on loss and bereavement

Download our free PSHE lessons and resources for schools on loss and bereavement for Key Stages 1-4. These have been developed by teachers and bereavement support workers.
Free online bereavement training for schools

Free online training modules | 20 minutes | Access immediately
PSHE lessons on loss and bereavement

We offer free PSHE lessons for schools on loss and bereavement for Key Stages 1-4. These have been developed by teachers and bereavement support workers.
London Landmarks Half Marathon | 4 April 2027

London | Charity places available
Ask Me: Education | Resources for bereaved young people
Supporting bereaved children and young people with SEND

Online training | 1 day | Dates available
Ask Me: Education

Bereavement plans and resources to help students feel seen, understood and supported in education.

Supporting bereaved children and young people

Children and young people grieve just as much as adults but they can show it in different ways. Find out how you can help them and more about child grieving.
Children's understanding of death at different ages

Guidance on children's understanding of death at different ages and stages of development.
Explaining to a child that someone has died

Guidance on explaining to a child that someone has died.
Explaining death and dying to children

Guidance for teachers and parents on talking to children about death and dying,
Grieving for a child

No parent expects to face the death of their child. See our resource for support and guidance on grieving for a child.
When a grandparent dies

The death of a grandparent is often a child or young person’s first encounter with the death of someone important. Parents have a great deal to manage when their own parent or carer dies.
Child Bereavement UK training

Child Bereavement UK designs and delivers training for professionals in health and social care, education, the emergency services and the voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.
Contact us

Contact details for our Helpline, departments and services.
Adults bereaved as children

How being bereaved as a child can affect your life as an adult and where you can find support.
When your baby dies

When a baby lives only a short time or dies before birth due to miscarriage, SUDIC, stillbirth or a painful decision to end the pregnancy, people may assume that the loss is not important. This is simply not the case.