4360 Cooper Road, Suite 100
Cincinnati, OH 45242
Support of Fernside Support Groups
Grant Application:
Grant funds from the Charles
H. Dater Foundation will support Fernside’s grief support groups over a
one-year grant period, impacting an estimated 675 individuals. The impact of
Fernside's grief support groups is both immediate and longstanding. The immediate
benefit is that children and teens can share their experiences with grief,
which is critical to the healing process. In the long-term, participants build
resiliency and learn coping skills that they can draw from for the rest of
their lives. The impact of Fernside's support groups is best articulated by
those that have participated. According to Logan Davis, a Fernside alum and
current volunteer, “A death of someone prominent can become such a life
changing moment for anyone, but especially for kids and teens. You don’t know
which way a person can go. They can either choose to be positive and remember
the person as they continue on, or it can send them down a dark and destructive
path. Fernside is a crucial aid that helps people pick the good way, and it helps
them cope with their feelings in a healthy and positive way as they move
forward in their lives.” By supporting Fernside, the Dater Foundation is
helping grieving children and teens 'pick the good way.'
Goals/Objectives:
| OUTCOME ONE: 675 Grieving children and adults will learn coping skills by participating in grief support groups or through education/consultation OUTCOME TWO: 75% of grieving children participating in support groups will increase ability to handle their grief. OUTCOME THREE: 75% of grieving children participating in support groups will increase ability to express feelings and increased comfort talking about death OUTCOME FOUR: 90% of grieving children participating in support groups will increase ability to identify with others who are grieving OUTCOME FIVE: 90% of grieving parents/guardians participating in support groups will increase knowledge of coping with their own grief OUTCOME SIX: Grieving parents/guardians participating in support groups will increase their knowledge of coping with and supporting a bereaved child. Grant Evaluation Report: The grief support groups supported by the Dater Foundation’s 2021 grant were successful. Overall, the Dater Foundation’s grant served 1,391 individuals over the one-year period – more than doubling the original projection of 675 individuals served. A breakdown of individuals served by program can be seen below: EVENING PROGRAM served 636 individuals in grief support groups (463 children/teens + 173 adults = 636 total individuals served) SCHOOL PROGRAM served a record 571 students in grief support groups CRISIS PROGRAM served 14 students in grief support groups, and provided consultation, education, or other support to an additional 170 individuals (school faculty, parents, and students). All of the programs exceeded the projected number of individuals served over the grant-term, with the School Program experiencing the most notable increase from the original projections. During the 2021-22 school year, Fernside School Program served a record 571 students in grief support groups. The 571 students served represents a 218% increase over the projected 150 students served over the grant term, and a 33% increase over the previous record of 427 students served from the 2018-19 school year. Fernside is unclear as to the reason behind the spike in requests for School Program grief support groups. While there are more children who are grieving due to COVID-19 and COVID related deaths, the program’s usage was consistently climbing prior to the pandemic. In fact, the School Program set records for students served in the back-to-back school years that preceded COVID-19 – the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years, respectively. It is presumed that Fernside’s reputation amongst schools and educators as the go-to resource for children’s bereavement is driving the increased requests for support groups, along with an increased awareness of the prevalence of grief in schools and the emotional needs of students due to COVID-19. Results: OUTCOME ONE (FY22 Actual): 100% of grieving children and adults (1,391 individuals) learned coping skills and built resiliency by participating in grief support groups or through education/consultation OUTCOME TWO (FY22 Actual): 85% of grieving children participating in support groups (891 individuals) increased their ability to handle grief OUTCOME THREE (FY22 Actual): 87% of grieving children participating in support groups (912 individuals) increased their ability to express feelings and comfort talking about death OUTCOME FOUR (FY22 Actual): 94% of grieving children participating in support groups (985 individuals) increased their ability to identify with others who are grieving OUTCOME FIVE (FY22 Actual): 98% of grieving parents/guardians participating in support groups (170 individuals) increased their knowledge of coping with their own grief OUTCOME SIX (FY22 Actual): 98% of grieving parents/caregivers participating in support groups (170 individuals) increased their knowledge of coping with and supporting a bereaved child |