Supporting children and youth through the dying of someone they care about is challenging across disciplines, even for the most experienced professionals. Research highlights the importance of honesty, inclusion, and authentic connection when someone is dying in a child’s life. However, often in well-intended yet misguided efforts to protect them, children are too frequently excluded from the experience of illness and dying—leaving them feeling isolated, confused and disconnected. This presentation uses real-life and real-death narratives to provide practical and compassionate strategies to involve and support children and youth when someone is dying in their life.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify key myths and misconceptions that often prevent adults from engaging in open and honest conversations with children and youth about serious illness and dying.
2. Describe common concerns experienced by children when someone in their life is dying.
3. Identify practical, grief-informed strategies to support children and youth during a family member’s dying process, in both personal and professional settings.

About the Presenter:

Andrea Warnick, BScN, MA, RN Andrea is a Registered Psychotherapist and Registered Nurse whose passion lies in helping individuals, families and communities support people of all ages who are grieving an illness or death in their lives. With years of nursing and counselling experience both in Canada and abroad and a Masters degree in Thanatology Andrea brings to her work a rare mixture of medical and psychosocial expertise. Andrea developed and teaches the 5 Day Certificate Program in Children’s Grief and Bereavement through SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health. She was also the lead content developer for the websites KidsGrief.ca and KidsGrief for Educators. Once a month Andrea hosts a free monthly forum through Canadian Virtual Hospice, KidsGrief Q&A, where she responds to questions from families and professionals from around the world about supporting grieving children and youth. Andrea lives in Guelph, Ontario, from where she co-leads AWC Grief Support, a group practice of over 30 therapists who provide grief therapy across Ontario and grief consultation and education internationally.