Loss of a loved one has serious consequences for children and can disrupt development and school, social, and family functioning. Creative interventions for helping children cope with loss can facilitate the progression of grief and are associated with improved functioning. Bibliotherapy, the use of books in treatment, can enhance traditional grief support programs by normalizing the grief experience and reducing feelings of isolation, as well as allowing children to approach trauma indirectly.

The purpose of this project was to identify a potential funding source and write a grant proposal to develop bibliotherapy programs at two Sonoma County hospice organizations that provide grief support programs for school-age children. The project would assemble libraries of developmentally appropriate books at Hospice of Petaluma and Memorial Hospice, and provide training in bibliotherapy for bereavement counselors in the area. Actual submission and/or funding of the grant were not required for the completion of this project.