1 in 11 U.S. Children Will Be Bereaved by Age 18, New Report Finds

Associated Press

7 days ago

Judi's House/JAG Institute & New York Life Foundation unveil first public dashboard reporting childhood bereavement across the country
'Grief can have lifelong impacts, yet it remains one of the most under-recognized public health issues for children.'— Dr. Micki Burns, CEO of Judi's House/JAG Institute.
DENVER, CO, UNITED STATES, June 4, 2025 / EINPresswire.com / -- Judi's House/JAG Institute, in partnership with the New York Life Foundation, today released the 2025 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model® (CBEM) National Report, which reveals that 1 in 11 children in the U.S. — or 6.4 million youth — will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. By age 25, that number rises to 15.5 million.
The 2025 report uses the latest five years of CDC mortality data to produce the most comprehensive look at how bereavement affects children across the country.
A First-of-Its-Kind Tool to Drive Data-Informed Action on Childhood Grief
For the first time, the CBEM includes a publicly available dashboard (the CBEM Dashboard) to allow users to explore bereavement data by geography, age group, relationship to the deceased, cause of death, race, ethnicity and more — empowering policymakers, educators and community leaders with actionable insights.
'Grief can have lifelong impacts, yet it remains one of the most under-recognized public health issues for children,' said Dr. Micki Burns, CEO of Judi's House/JAG Institute. 'The new dashboard empowers communities, schools, and advocates with tools to address childhood grief in more focused and meaningful ways.'
The report and dashboard are being released today in conjunction with the National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG) Symposium, held June 3–5 in Kansas City. The event gathers more than 500 grief professionals from across the country. Dr. Micki Burns and Maria Collins of the New York Life Foundation will unveil the CBEM Dashboard during a plenary session at the event.
Key Findings from the 2025 CBEM Report:
● 1 in 11 (8.9%) children in the U.S. will lose a parent or sibling by age 18.
● In New Mexico, 1 in 7 children (14.2%) will be bereaved by age 18 — the highest rate in the nation.
● By contrast, Utah has the lowest bereavement rate: 1 in 15 children (6.8%).
● One-third of children grieving a parent are bereaved due to an accident, with the majority linked to overdoses.
'Far too many children experience the death of a loved one without the support they need,' said Maria Collins, Vice President of the New York Life Foundation. 'By making this data publicly available, we're not just shining a light on the scale of childhood grief. We're equipping communities with the tools to respond.'
With childhood bereavement impacting millions of families across the country, the 2025 CBEM Report and Dashboard provide a critical foundation for understanding the scope of the issue and building grief-informed systems of care. Judi's House/JAG Institute and the New York Life Foundation call on education, healthcare, and government leaders to use these data to take informed, coordinated action.
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 and training division of Judi's House, a nonprofit childhood bereavement center located in Aurora, Colorado, that has provided Comprehensive Grief Care to more than 15,250 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: newyorklifefoundation.org
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