Support for bereaved children

Motion Text

That this House notes with sadness that, on average, a child loses a parent every 20 minutes in the UK; further notes with concern that support services have no way of knowing exactly how many children suffer a bereavement each year, or where they live; recognises the work of charities in providing specialist support for children who lose a loved one; applauds the wide range of services they provide including support groups, hotlines, online chats and email support; commends charities including Winston’s Wish, Childhood Bereavement Network and Child Bereavement UK for collecting over 11,000 signatures on their petition calling for better recognition of bereaved children; and calls on the Government to introduce a new protocol for authorities and public bodies to inform children of local, national and online support services available to children following a bereavement.