Child bereavement

National Secular Society, Atholl

Crescent, Edinburgh We welcome the confirmation from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport in her response to a parliamentary question that the process has begun to appoint a National Co-ordinator for

Child Bereavement. We are also pleased to hear £70,000 of resource has been committed in the first year.

In Scotland around 80 children experience bereavement every week which represents over 4,000 per year.

We also know that some groups such as young people in custody are known to have experienced higher rates of loss and bereavement than the general population, and are more likely to experience multiple and traumatic bereavements.

We know from our services that bereavement and the trauma that comes with it have a huge impact on children and young people.

The impact of this trauma can stay with a child into adulthood and have a negative effect on their education and future life chances. To avoid this it is essential that