Easing the Pain of Father's Day Without Dad, Highmark Caring Place Helps Children...

Easing the Pain of Father's Day Without Dad, Highmark Caring Place Helps
Children Cope With the Death of a Parent

PITTSBURGH, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Since one child in 20 will have a parent
die before he or she graduates from high school, many young people will
experience a Father's Day without dad on June 21. For children and families in
need of additional support to help ease the pain at this time, the Highmark
Caring Place, A Center for Grieving Children, Adolescents and Their Families,
offers programs and services as well as online tools at no cost.

"Many families celebrate and express appreciation to their dads on Father's
Day, but those whose father has died experience many difficult challenges and
emotions," said Terese Vorsheck, director of the Highmark Caring Place. "This
special day may heighten the feelings of sadness and pain that accompany the
death of a parent, and the Caring Place is here to help."

The Highmark Caring Place offers these suggestions for children and families
who are dealing with the death of a father:
-- Realize that the anticipation of the day is often as difficult - or
even
more difficult - than the holiday itself.
-- Talk about your grief and the person who died. Share your feelings
with
people you trust. Say the name of the person who died and invite
others
to do the same.
-- Embrace your memories. Memories are one of the best legacies that
exist
after someone dies. Allowing time for family members to share their
memories, and laughing and crying together, helps keep the person who
died a part of these special days.

"We encourage families to talk about the upcoming day in advance," said
Vorsheck. "Deciding how to spend the day ahead of time might help families
avoid getting caught off-guard by emotions that are difficult to anticipate.
Sharing your feelings with one another, along with a little bit of planning,
can help you find ways of honoring and remembering someone you love very much,
but who is no longer with you."

At four Caring Place locations in Pennsylvania - in Pittsburgh, Erie, Lemoyne
and Warrendale - peer support groups and referral services are offered for
children and their families who are coping with the death of a loved one.
Adult telephone support and educational programs and resources are provided
for grieving children and families, while consultation services and
educational presentations and resources are available for schools and other
professionals who work with children in the community.

The Caring Place has also created a series of reference tools that are
available in print or online to help families and professionals who are trying
to find answers to questions concerning grief. Topics include:

-- Saying Goodbye: Preparing a Child for a Funeral or Cremation
-- Responding to Children in Grief and the Questions They Ask
-- Questions Grieving Children Ask
-- The Grief of Preschoolers and the Questions They Ask
-- Questions Grieving Teens Ask
-- The Grieving Child in the Classroom
-- Is There Anything I Can Do? (for teens)
-- Is There Anything I Can Do? (for adults)
-- Caring for Yourself as You Care for Your Grieving Child
-- Coping with Grief at the Holidays
-- Telling the Children: Talking with a Child When a Parent Is Diagnosed
with a Terminal Illness

-- Creating Connections When a Parent Is Diagnosed with a Terminal
Illness

To secure copies of any of the print publications, visit the Highmark Caring
Place online at www.highmarkcaringplace.com.

The Caring Place is a signature partner of Highmark Healthy High 5, an
initiative of the Highmark Foundation, and is also supported by community
contributions.

For more information about the Highmark Caring Place, contact 1-888-224-HOPE
(4673) or visit www.highmarkcaringplace.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Visit http://www.highmarkcaringplace.com/pdf/cp_story_carrie.pdf to read
Carrie's story, a firsthand account of a child who attended the Caring Place
and lost her father.

SOURCE Highmark Caring Place

George Yanoshik of Highmark Inc., +1-717-302-4251,
george.yanoshik@highmark.com