Child grief specialist design programs based in the children's age, relationship to the deceased and type of death. Currently, the support groups facilitated by child grief specialists and trained volunteers involve children up to age 19 and their family members. LaVallee said there is a tremendous need for programs such as The Caring Place, not just in Pennsylvania but throughout the nation. Just over five percent of children under the age of 18 will lose their father or mother before they reach adulthood. Since its creation in 1996, the Center for Grieving Children has provided support to more than 250 local children and their parents.
Studies show that such a traumatic loss affects all areas of a child's life for many years to come.
The Caring Place is a program of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield's Western Pennsylvania Caring Foundation for Children. Since 1985, the Caring Foundation had provided comprehensive health insurance programs to Pennsylvania's uninsured children. The Caring Place is a natural extension of the Caring Foundation.