Posted: | April 24, 2019 03:36 PM |
---|---|
From: | Representative Harry Readshaw |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Resolution designating November 21, 2019, as Children’s Grief Awareness Day in Pennsylvania |
One in 20 children will have lost a parent by the time they graduate from high school. This number does not count the children who lose siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, other relatives, friends and mentors. Many adults may not realize that it often takes children longer to deal with grief than we might expect, and that children have different ways of processing and expressing their emotions surrounding such a loss. Children need the support and understanding of adults close to them following a loss. To help give grieving children the support they need, and in recognition of the reality that many children grieve in silence, I will be introducing a resolution designating November 21, 2019, as Children’s Grief Awareness Day in Pennsylvania. This observance was launched in 2008 by the Highmark Caring Place right here in Pennsylvania and has since expanded, as thousands of individuals and organizations now participate in observance activities. The weeks leading up to the holidays are an appropriate time to recognize children’s grief, as they can be a particularly difficult time for those dealing with loss. It is my hope that this resolution will encourage adults to familiarize themselves with the signs of grief in children, and to help these children feel that they are not alone. Please join me in this show of support for children who are braving the loss of someone close to them. |
Introduced as HR553