Introduction

You may be reading this as a young family who has left service, you may be a career RCMP or CAF Veteran or spouse looking back on the experience that your adult children may have had, or you may be in active service looking for ways to support your children. We use the phrase “service family or families” to encompass all of these situations.

Throughout this and other topics, we use “parent” to include all those who care for children and youth, whether that be biological, step, adoptive or chosen parents or grandparents, or guardians.

Children will experience many losses, both big and small as they grow up: a friend moves away, a favourite toy is lost, a pet dies, a teacher leaves, partners split up, siblings leave home, and the family is changed.

For children of service families, loss and grief are often a far greater part of their lives: the frequency of moves and saying goodbye to friends, community, the favourite playground or ice cream spot, the dog next door and what is familiar; saying goodbye to a parent for extended periods of time; and, the dangers of the parent’s job, to name a few. They may be living with a service parent who has been changed by trauma or other service injuries.  Sadly, they might experience the death of their parent or someone else close to them.

Supporting children and youth of service families in their grief will help them through difficult times and equip them with strategies they can carry with them throughout their lives.  

In this topic, we will focus on:

• The needs of children and youth in service families that are experiencing loss and grief.
• The unintended risks of keeping kids “in the dark”.
• Strategies that can support children and youth as they work their way through hard stuff.