At The Children’s Room (TCR), our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is at the heart of our mission: to ensure no child, teen, or family grieves alone. Over the past two years, we’ve worked intentionally to deepen our understanding and take meaningful action around DEI. Today, we’re proud to share our updated DEI statement, reflecting both our progress and our continued dedication to this essential work.
Reflecting on Our Journey
In January 2023, we formed a DEI working group of diverse staff members, prioritizing learning as the foundation for change. With Visions, Inc., we developed a shared language for navigating difficult conversations, explored our identities as cultural beings, and built the skills needed to address systematic oppression. These discussions shape not only our DEI strategy but also the culture of our organization, creating a stronger, more inclusive foundation for our work.
In 2024, we moved from learning to action. By December, with the support of Peoplesworth Consulting, we updated our DEI statement and created TCR’s first-ever DEI action plan. These efforts marked a meaningful step in aligning our values with tangible, impactful goals.
A Commitment to Equity and Inclusion
Our updated DEI statement reflects our evolving understanding and deepens our commitment to equity and inclusion. Here’s what it means in practice:
- Increasing access to support for children, teens, and families who are grieving and who encounter barriers to accessing services;
- Continuing to provide services free of charge.
- Cultivating our relationships and engaging with community partners to understand and address community needs together;
- Building diversity within TCR’s board, staff, interns, volunteers, and donors.
- Participating in ongoing DEI learning and reflection.
This updated statement also takes a broader view of diversity, considering factors like family structure, physical appearance, military experience, and political affiliation. It emphasizes equity as meeting people where they are with tailored resources that reflect unique circumstances.
Embedding DEI Into Everything We Do
Our ultimate goal is to increase access to bereavement support, normalize grief, and foster greater compassion, hope, and understanding. From translating materials into multiple languages to participating in trainings to better understand diversity variables, we are embedding DEI into all aspects of our work.
This work is ongoing, and we value your feedback as we continue to listen, learn, and grow. If you have thoughts or questions, please contact our Executive Director, Jon Gay. Together, we are building inclusive, supportive communities for grieving children, teens, and families.
CLICK HERE to read our full DEI statement and to learn more.
