Press Release

Immediate Release

April 14th 2014

PROFESSIONALS WORKING WITH BEREAVED CHILDREN ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND IRISH CHILDHOOD BEREAVEMENT NETWORK SOUTH EAST REGIONAL MEETING

The Irish Childhood Bereavement Network (ICBN) is encouraging professionalsworking with bereaved children to attend its South East regional meeting in Waterford on April 29th.

The meeting, which is free of charge, will take place at St Johns Pastoral Centre between 10am-1pm. Professionalsincluding social workers, palliative care staff, bereavement counsellors, clinical psychologists, teachers, guidance counsellors from across the region are invited to attend.

Nicola Jordan, Co-ordinator of the ICBN stated: “This regional meeting is an opportunity for professionals working with bereaved children and young people in the locality to come together and share their experiences with people who are doing similar work. We are hoping professionals from Waterford, Wexford, Cork, Kilkenny, Carlow, Tipperary and Laois will join us on the day.”

Launched in 2012, the ICBN is a hub for those working with bereaved children, young people and their families in Ireland. The aim is to ensure that all Irish children have access to a choice of high quality local and national information, guidance and support to enable them to manage the impact of the heath and loss of their loved one

Hosted by the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF), the ICBN was founded after a study carried out by the IHF found there was a lack of emphasis in government policy on children’s bereavement. It also noted that while there were many strengths, the current system needed to be co-ordinated through networking and discussion.

Research carried out in 2012 found that 28% of Irish nine year olds have lost a grandparent and 2.2% have lost a parent.

For those attending the meeting, Nicola Jordan will introduce the work of the ICBN. She will be followed by Chair of the ICBN and Children and Loss Consultant Bríd Carroll who will deliver a talk titled ‘Siblings: The Forgotten Grievers’. It will also be an opportunity for those working locally to meet and discuss current topics of interest.

The meeting is the latest in a series being held across the country. It follows a meeting in Sligo in February while another is planned for Dublin on May 30th.

To attend in Waterford, you must RSVP to . There is no charge for the event.

-Ends-

For more information, please contact:

Rebecca Kelly, Communications Co-ordinator, The Irish Hospice Foundation

Email: Phone: 01 679 3188