Looking for an application? You can register for one of the Good Mourning Grief Support Groups below. Registrations will only be taken from the parent or legal guardian.
After receipt of an application, a Good Mourning group leader will contact the parent or adult caregiver and the young person by phone before the start of the program. Interested parents and adult caregivers can call the Center for Good Mourning at 501-364-7000 or email goodmourning@archildrens.org for additional information if needed.
For Winter 2025, Good Mourning Grief Support Groups will be provided in a virtual-only setting allowing for families anywhere in Arkansas to participate. A Parent Orientation will be provided on Monday, January 13. Groups for K-12 children and teens and adults will go for eight weeks beginning the week of January 20 through the week of March 10 . All virtual meetings will be in the evenings at 6 or 7 pm-specific days of the week and times to be determined.
For Spring 2025, Good Mourning Grief Support Groups will be provided in-person in Professional Building One at 6 Children's Way on the Arkansas Children's Hospital campus. A Parent Orientation will be provided on Tuesday, March 18. Groups for K-12 children and teens and adults will go for eight weeks on Tuesdays, 6-7:30 pm, April 1-May 20.
For Fall 2025, Good Mourning Grief Support Groups will be provided in-person in Professional Building One at 6 Children's Way on the Arkansas Children's Hospital campus. A Parent Orientation will be provided on Tuesday, September 23. Groups for K-12 children and teens and adults will go for eight weeks on Tuesdays, 6-7:30 pm, September 30-November 18.
Good Mourning Grief Support Groups are for any child or teen, ages Kindergarten through high school, who have experienced the death of a family member or friend. There are also support groups available for the adults in the family. There is no charge for the program, but a completed application is required for each child or teen.
To apply online go to www.goodmourningcenter.org. For more information call 501-364-7000.
Grief Support Groups run for eight weekly sessions. Each session is about 90 minutes in length. Children and teens meet in small groups with others of similar age, and all group members have had the experience of the death of a family member or friend. Each group is led by a team of leaders who work at Arkansas Children's Hospital. The group leaders come from different backgrounds including Child Life, Nursing, Pastoral Care, Psychology, and Social Work. All group leaders have received special training in order to work in the Good Mourning program.
Parents and adult caregivers of children in the Grief Support Groups are invited to participate in an optional adult group. The adult group meets at the same time and building as the groups for children and teens.
Prior to the start of the program, parents and adult caregivers meet for a parent orientation. During the orientation, parents have an opportunity to learn more about the program and how they can support their children in their grief and mourning. Parents and caregivers also meet with the group leaders for their child's group in order to learn more about what their child will do and learn in the program. The parent orientation helps the group leaders better prepare for the unique needs of the children and teens with whom they will be working.
The children and teen groups will follow the same basic outline. Because group sharing and bonding will be very important, no new group members may enter the program after the second session. Activities are specially planned for each age group in order to meet the developmental needs of the children and teens. Older groups will have more discussion and younger groups will have more activities. A summary of the outline for the eight sessions is as follows:
A Reunion meeting is offered approximately 3 months following the end of the eight-week series. This meeting allows for additional support to help with positive changes begun during the eight-week sessions. More details about the Reunion meeting are given to group members at the last session.
If you would like more information about the Center for Good Mourning programs and Grief Support Groups, please call 501-364-7000 or email goodmourning@archildrens.org.
The Arkansas Children's Hospital Center for Good Mourning offer help and support to those dealing with the loss of a loved one. Please contact the listings below before attempting to attend sessions to ensure that the times and locations are still accurate. All have no charge and are for all adults unless otherwise noted. NOTE: This resource list was compiled by the Center for Good Mourning. Additions or revisions to the list are appreciated.
For those seeking help or support after the loss of a loved one.
Download ListFor grief support groups for children outside of Arkansas, visit National Alliance for Children's Grief.
GriefShare is a thirteen-week support group program offered in churches and includes religious content from the Christian tradition. For a list of GriefShare groups, visit griefshare.org.
Walking the Mourner's Path is an eight-week small-group program offered in churches and includes religious content from the Christian tradition. For more information, visit https://www.mournerspath.com/.