New Hope for Kids

New Hope for Kids has two principal programs. The Center for Grieving Children and the Children's Wish Program. The Grief Center provides grief support sessions to children and their parents. Most of these children come to us after they begin to suffer behavioral problems after the death of a parent or sibling. Children meet in groups according to age, with trained grief facilitators and counselors. Their caregivers meet separately with a counselor to learn how children grieve, how to help them and how to deal with their own grief. Many of the deaths were very traumatic: cancer, accidents, murders and suicides. Sharing their concerns with others going through the same thing helps these children, and their caregivers, learn to pick up the pieces and go on with their life in a healthy way. The Wish program grants wishes to children who are severely ill. Most of these children live sterile, restricted lives due to their illness. Isolation and educational stagnation frequently results. Physical disabilities limit the child's mobility and access to normal learning and social opportunities. Many children request computers and computer training.