The Fox Valley Hands of Hope Project Hope school collaborated grief support program, now partnered with 46 schools throughout the Fox Valley community, supports students ages 5 through 18. The benefits of school-based grief support are:
- Accessibility to support within a familiar environment
- Students are made aware of others at their school who have loss-related needs
- The grief process is “normalized” through interactions with other students
- It provides an outlet for emotional needs which then helps the student throughout their academic day
- Collaboration between Fox Valley Hands of Hope’s bereavement team and school staff encourages a positive link between emotional and academic performance
