The Evelyn S. and K.E. Barrett Foundation of York, ME, has awarded a $25,000 grant to The Children’s Room (TCR), a nonprofit organization based in Arlington, MA, dedicated to creating safe, supportive communities for children, teens, and families who are grieving.
According to the 2024 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM), 1 in 13 children in Massachusetts—approximately 102,000 children—will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18. Our mission is to ensure that every child or teen in Massachusetts has access to bereavement services that help normalize grief and support the healthy integration of loss. We envision a community where grief is met with kindness, compassion, hope, and understanding. Through center-based services, school and community programs, and professional education, TCR serves over 3,200 individuals across 80+ communities in Massachusetts each year. All programs are offered free of charge, ensuring that every family in need can access grief support.
The funds awarded by the Evelyn S. and K.E. Barrett Foundation will support an expanded Sunday peer support group program for children. In response to increased demand from families with younger children this program year (2024-2025), we are adding a second Sunday group. Our work supports children and their caregivers simultaneously as they integrate loss and grief into their new family dynamic. Licensed clinicians and trained interns and volunteers guide children through age-appropriate activities—such as arts and crafts projects, talking circles, and memory sharing—that help them express their grief and incorporate their loss into daily life.
One child in a peer support group shared, “If you‘re ever feeling alone with sadness, there will be someone [at TCR] who can talk to you about it.”
We are grateful for the generosity and partnership of the Evelyn S. and K.E. Barrett Foundation. The Evelyn S. and K.E. Barrett Foundation supports organizations that are working to improve children’s health, safety, and education to create opportunities for their enrichment so that they may live fulfilling lives.
