HOW WE CAN HELP

The bereavement support service offered by Hope Bereavement Care is:

• Free
  • Confidential
    • Professional

Bereavement support is offered to any person in the Barwon region impacted by the sudden and unexpected death of a child, from 20 weeks gestation up to the age of 18 years.   Those who can seek help include:

• Parents
• Brothers and sisters
• Grandparents
• Other family members
• Family friends
• Workmates
• School communities
• Other members of the community
• Emergency service personnel and service providers

Assistance is offered in two different ways:

1. At the time of crisis.  
Our Grief Counsellors are available to provide grief support and information at the time of the death of the child as well as during the period which follows.

2. Through ongoing Support Groups.
These Support Groups are conducted under the guidance of our Grief Counsellors with trained bereaved parents involved in the process of connecting with those newly bereaved.  

We offer:

• Personal and family support from qualified counsellors and trained parent supporters
• Information to assist families, service providers and support people
• Opportunities for bereaved people to meet with others who have had a similar experience
• Information about grief and trauma
• 24-hour telephone support service: 1300 308 307 (Victoria), 1800 240 400 (Australia)
• Support, education and advice for emergency workers, schools, community service providers and others.
• Resource library

Our counsellors are professionally supervised by SIDS and Kids Victoria.