The Funeral Service Foundation, in partnership with the Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition and National Alliance for Children’s Grief, has announced new resources to help funeral service professionals support their families and communities, with several available now and Youth & Funerals materials arriving in August.
“Funeral directors are trusted community members who walk alongside families during some of life’s most profound moments, and that role extends well beyond the funeral itself,” said Jeff Smith, chair of the Funeral Service Foundation. “In partnership with the National Alliance for Children’s Grief and the Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition, these resources bring together grief expertise and the funeral service perspective, giving professionals something meaningful to share with the families and communities they serve every day.”
All resources are available free of charge (simply pay shipping or view or download files) at FuneralServiceFoundation.org.
Expanding the When a Child Dies series, with PPCC
For more than eight years, the Foundation and PPCC have worked together to help funeral service professionals support families following the loss of a child. This next chapter builds on that partnership, and on feedback from funeral service professionals through a 2024-25 survey of the profession. The result is an expanded When a Child Dies initiative, with new resources and national training offered through the National Funeral Directors Association throughout 2026.
When Goodbye Comes Too Soon: Acts of Love After Pregnancy Loss, a new 20-page booklet in the When a Child Dies series, gives funeral service professionals a resource they can put directly into the hands of families experiencing pregnancy and newborn loss, offering the same compassionate, family-centered guidance as When a Child Dies in a form built specifically for this loss. The booklet was created in collaboration with both PPCC and Return to Zero: Hope.
When a Child’s Death Is Sudden, a new companion guide to When a Child Dies, was created to support families facing the sudden, unexpected death of a child. It offers compassionate guidance, practical information, and understanding as families navigate shock, trauma, difficult questions, and the grief that follows.
Funeral professionals can learn about these resources through a series of trainings held throughout 2026:
- May 7 — A workshopped version of When Goodbye Comes Too Soon was introduced at NFDA’s Professional Women’s Conference.
- July 29 — A free NFDA webinar, When a Child Dies, explored compassionate, family-centered care following the death of a child.
- October 25 — “After the Unimaginable: Toolkit for Caring for Families After the Death of a Child,” 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., NFDA International Convention & Expo, Charlotte, North Carolina.
- October 28 — “Moments That Matter: Supporting Families After the Sudden Death of Their Child,” 8-9 a.m., NFDA International Convention & Expo, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Refreshing the Youth & Funerals Series, with NACG
The Foundation also partnered with the National Alliance for Children’s Grief on an expansion of the Youth & Funerals series, available in August. The partnership brings together childhood bereavement professionals and funeral service professionals, ensuring the resources are grounded in current best practices for supporting grieving children and practical for use in the funeral home setting.
Youth & Funerals, available in August in its second edition, helps parents and caregivers prepare children for the funeral experience. Updated to a 16-page format, the new edition includes expanded content such as a short glossary of funeral-related terms, making the resource more accessible to families unfamiliar with funeral and memorial traditions. It also includes a new section on ways of caring for a body beyond burial and cremation, a Continuing Bonds page with guidance on helping children maintain connection with the person who died, and a Resources page directing families to professional support and grief organizations.
Youth & Funerals Companion Guides, available in August, are a new series of guides, each focused on a single topic families and caregivers may face, from telling a child someone has died to preparing them for the funeral and staying connected in the months that follow. Built for the moments when a longer resource isn’t what’s needed, each guide gives funeral directors something they can put directly into a caregiver’s hands and know it will be read.
LINKS:
Individual resources may be viewed and ordered at:
- When Goodbye Comes Too Soon – org/Resources-for-Professionals/Goodbye
- When a Child’s Death is Sudden – org/Resources-for-Professionals-When-a-Childs-Death-is-Sudden
Coming soon:
- Youth & Funerals – org/Resources-for-Professionals/Youth-Funerals
- Youth & Funerals Companion Guides – org/Resources-for-Professionals/Youth-Funerals-Companion-Guides
ABOUT THE FUNERAL SERVICE FOUNDATION – FuneralServiceFoundation.org
Since 1945, the Funeral Service Foundation has served as the philanthropic voice of the funeral profession and has identified as the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997. Donors and volunteer leaders profession-wide support the Foundation in its mission of lifting up grieving communities by investing in people and programs that strengthen funeral service.
ABOUT THE PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE COALITION – PPCC-PA.org
The Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition (PPCC) is dedicated to ensuring that all families have access to high-quality pediatric palliative and hospice care. PPCC provides education, resources, advocacy, and family support to improve quality of life for children with serious illnesses and those who care for them. The organization partners with healthcare professionals, hospitals, hospices, and community organizations to expand access to compassionate, family-centered care. Through nationally recognized educational programs, innovative family resources, and leadership in coalition development and advocacy, PPCC is advancing pediatric palliative care across the country. By connecting families with trusted information, meaningful support, and a compassionate community, PPCC is helping ensure that no child or family faces a serious illness journey alone.
ABOUT RETURN TO ZERO: HOPE – RTZHope.org
Return to Zero: Hope, a national nonprofit headquartered in Los Angeles, is dedicated to offering hope and healing to those impacted by pregnancy and infant loss through genuine connection, holistic support, inclusive resources, and grief-informed education.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN’S GRIEF – NACG.org
The National Alliance for Children’s Grief is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and equipping the professionals and communities who support them. Through education, advocacy, and collaboration, NACG works to ensure that no child has to grieve alone.
The organization supports a national network of children’s bereavement centers, healthcare providers, schools, hospices, funeral professionals, clinicians, and community organizations by providing education, practical resources, networking opportunities, and leadership to strengthen grief support for children and families across the United States.
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