About Suncoast Kid's Place
The mission of the Center is to provide support for children/teens from 3-18 years of age and their families, who have experienced the death of a parent, primary caretaker, grandparent, brother, sister or teen friend, because of illness, accident, suicide or homicide.

Most children will have experienced the death of a loved one by the end of high school, some much sooner. The Center recognizes that children's grief is unique, and that grief ignored, can cause difficulties later in life: physically, emotionally and behaviorally. Unresolved grief in children and teens can cause depression, violence, truancy, eating disorders, alcoholism, drug abuse, anxiety and suicide.

Research shows that the death of a parent may be THE most traumatic single event to affect the well-being and health of a developing child and adult depression, schizophrenia, drug problems and alcohol use may be linked to childhood bereavement. Often it takes years for these behaviors to surface. The Suncoast Kids Place helps provide support so that families may continue their lives with hope, confidence and strength.

Guiding Principles
The Suncoast Kid’s Place is founded on the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to grieve in a supportive and understanding environment. However, our society fails to understand or support the needs of a child and family in grief. Based on these beliefs, the six principles of the Suncoast Kid’s Place are:

• Grief is a natural reaction to the loss of a loved one for children as well as adults
  
  
• Within each individual is the capacity to heal
  
  
• The duration and intensity of grief are unique for each individual
  
  
• Caring and acceptance assist in the healing process
  
  
• Play is children’s “work” and they work through grief best through support and play oriented activities.
  
  
• Grieving impacts individuals physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Suncoast Kid’s Place is committed to providing support for all of these components of the grief process.

To contact the Suncoast Kid's Place call 813-990-0216 or click here for more information.