A program for grieving children,
teens and their families

The loss of a parent, sibling or friend is a devastating experience for a child. Who can they talk to? Who will really listen? Their friends may shy away because they don’t know what to say. It’s also hard to talk to the surviving parent or family member because they are dealing with grief as well.

Abington Memorial Hospital’s Safe Harbor program provides free, ongoing grief support groups for children, teens and their parents or caregivers. This is a caring environment where they can come for support and understanding.

At Safe Harbor, we believe that it is a natural process to grieve after a loss. The duration and intensity of grief is unique for each individual. Support, caring and acceptance from other individuals provides people with a natural capacity to heal.

Our program offers many support sessions including children and teen groups for ages four to 18, a young adult group for ages 19 to 29 and parent/caregiver groups. Workshops for schools and other professional organizations are available for a fee.

Healing After a Suicide, a new support group offered to children and teens (ages 7 to 18) and their parent/caregivers, is available for those coping with the suicide death of a loved one.

Our Facility
Safe Harbor is a warm and comfortable environment that enables the staff to support grieving children, teens and their families.

Our facility includes:

• The Littles Area – Murals on the walls make this space a child’s dream playroom full of games, toys, art supplies and music. Children enjoy playing with other children who have similar experiences.
• The Art Room – For those who enjoy expressing their creativity, our art room is filled with art supplies including clay, paint, sand tray and more.
• The Cove – This cozy space with over-sized pillows and stuffed animals enables children and teens to hang out and relax during group activities and sharing sessions.
• The Activity Room – This room provides a physical release by offering foosball, air hockey, CD player and other forms of entertainment.
• The Volcano Room – Cushioned walls and floors, punching bags and foam bats create a place where participants can express their anger, frustration, rage or sadness within a protected setting. All children and teens are supervised.
• The Parent’s/Caregiver’s Room – A quiet place that offers grieving parents/caregivers a place to meet and share with others undergoing similar experiences with loss.

A parent or caregiver is required to accompany their child or teen. Parents or caregivers attend a separate support group that addresses their needs and provides them with methods to support their grieving children.

For more information about Abington Memorial Hospital’s Safe Harbor program, please call (215) 481-5983.

Volunteer Facilitators
Trained bereavement volunteer facilitators are the heart of our program. Many of our volunteers have advanced degrees in social services, nursing, education or psychology.

Our staff and volunteers work closely with children, teens and their parents/caregivers to create a supportive environment where sharing feelings and concerns help participants move through the healing process. A training program is required for new volunteers to attain the skills, knowledge and techniques to work with the groups.

Ongoing skill building workshops are offered throughout the year. Act 48 and social work CEU’s are available for many of our training programs.

For information about volunteering, please call (215) 481-5983.

Opportunities to Help
Safe Harbor needs your help to sustain and expand our program. Our program is reliant on contributions from individuals, businesses, organizations and foundations. Please contact the Fund Development Department at (215) 481-4438 or the Safe Harbor office at (215) 481-5983 for more information about donations or gifts-in-kind.

Safe Harbor Program
Abington Memorial Health Center—
Schilling Campus
Pennwood Building, fourth floor
2500 Maryland Road
Willow Grove, PA 19090
(215) 481-5983