New report finds that 1 in 12 children, or 6.3 million children, will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. This is an increase of approximately 300,000 children compared to the 2023 report. Isolated 2022 data reveals that a shocking 1,089 children were newly bereaved each day, losing a parent or sibling. Additionally, the report shows how the opioid epidemic is fueling childhood bereavement rates in the U.S.
AURORA, Colo., June 13, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The JAG Institute, in partnership with the New York Life Foundation, today released the 2024 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model ® (CBEM) National Report which approximates rates of U.S. childhood bereavement. Using data from 2018 to 2022 supplied by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the report found that 1 in 12 children, or 6.3 million children, will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. This is an increase of approximately 300,000 children compared to the 2023 report. Isolated 2022 data reveals that a shocking 1,089 children were newly bereaved each day, losing a parent or sibling.
The CBEM reveals that the opioid epidemic is fueling childhood bereavement rates in the U.S. In fact, 33 states saw a 20 percent or greater increase in the number of newly bereaved children due a parent death by overdose in 2022.
Since 2020, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of bereaved children nationwide. For the seventh consecutive year, West Virginia remains the state with the highest rates of childhood bereavement with 1 in 7 children being bereaved by age 18. Nebraska had the lowest rate of childhood bereavement.
"Childhood grief profoundly impacts bereaved youth, families, and communities," said Micki Burns, CEO of the JAG Institute & Judi's House. "The death of an important person in a child's life is one of the most frequently reported adverse childhood experiences. Unaddressed childhood grief and trauma can lead to short- and long-term difficulties including poor academic performance, mental health issues, and early mortality."
Addressing the societal impacts of childhood grief through mental health and grief resources (postvention) requires an investment in postvention to mitigate the impact of this adverse event. JAG Institute continues to advocate for postvention efforts on the same level as mental health prevention efforts with the goal of ultimately reducing the number of bereaved children.
About the JAG Institute
JAG Institute provides groundbreaking research, education and training to help communities understand the magnitude of childhood bereavement and gain the evidence-based tools they need to address this growing epidemic. In partnership with the New York Life Foundation, the JAG Institute developed the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model (CBEM) which approximates rates of U.S. children and youth who will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the time they reach adulthood using validated mortality data supplied by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. JAG Institute is the research division of Judi's House, a nonprofit childhood bereavement center located in Aurora, Colo. that has served more than 14,500 children and caregivers grieving a death loss. To learn more, please visit: judishouse.org/jag-institute
About New York Life Foundation
Inspired by New York Life's tradition of service and humanity, the New York Life Foundation has, since its founding in 1979, provided over $440 million in charitable contributions to national and local nonprofit organizations. The Foundation supports programs that benefit young people, particularly in the areas of educational enhancement and childhood bereavement and social justice. The Foundation also encourages and facilitates the community involvement of employees and agents of New York Life through its Volunteers for Good program and Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative. To learn more, please visit www.newyorklifefoundation.org.
Media Contact
Caty Carrico, JAG Institute, 1 303-733-3441 2, [email protected], https://judishouse.org
SOURCE JAG Institute
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