Children waiting up to six months for bereavement counselling services

A CHRONIC shortage of bereavement counselling services for children around the country means families are waiting up to six months after a death before they can access help.

According to the children’s charity Barnardos, the death of a parent, in particular, can have “potentially long-term implications on the emotional and social well-being of children”.

According to Katherine O’Daly, project leader with Barnardos’ bereavement counselling, such counselling is very “thinly resourced” in this country.