Covenant Hospice launches pilot program to help bereaved children 

Pensacola- Covenant Hospice announced today the launch of a new pilot program to help children who are dealing with the loss of a loved one.   The Butterfly Bag pilot project is part of the Covenant Hospice Children’s Support Services program. The Butterfly Bag is a specialized grief kit to help children express and process their feelings of grief and loss. The Butterfly Bag contains age-appropriate materials that were carefully selected for use with children who have experienced a loss. Also included in the bags is a Parent Pack, which contains helpful information about how to talk to children about issues related to death and dying.

The Butterfly Bag program has been generously funded by the Switzer Foundation, the Dugas Family Foundation, and the Community Services Foundation of Bay County. As part of the pilot program, bags will be distributed to children by Covenant Hospice staff in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay Counties in Florida. In the future, the not-for-profit organization hopes to expand the availability of the Butterfly Bags throughout its entire service area.

"Most children cope very well following a loss, provided they are given the opportunity to work through their emotions, ask questions, and find a way to remember their loved one. We created the Butterfly Bag to help children have that opportunity, and to be able to do so in their own homes, with the guidance and support of their families,” said Lee McDonough, life cycle specialist for Covenant Hospice. “We also included information especially for bereaved parents and caregivers, who often have the dual role of helping their children grieve, while also grieving themselves,” said McDonough.

Covenant Hospice cares for 1,300 patients daily in Northwest Florida, south Alabama and into the Big Bend area of Tallahassee. Covenant Hospice is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing comprehensive, compassionate services to patients and loved ones during times of life-limiting illnesses. 

###