Researchers quantify children who lost caregivers to COVID

More than one in 1,000 children in the U.S. have lost a parent or caregiver due to COVID-19 according to research published recently in The Lancet that seeks to quantify the secondary impacts of pandemic mortality.

The research published July 20 used mortality and fertility data from 21 countries to model rates of COVID-19 deaths of primary (parent or custodial grandparent) or secondary caregivers (older kin, co-residing grandparents) of children under 18.

Extrapolating the data globally, the researchers estimate that 1.5 million children worldwide have experienced the death of at least one primary or secondary caregiver from March 1, 2020 through April 30, 2021. In the U.S., an estimated 136,692 students have lost a primary or secondary caregiver and 104,884 children are estimated to have lost a parent.

“Evidence from previous epidemics shows that ineffective responses to the death of a parent or caregiver, even when there is a surviving parent or caregiver, can lead to deleterious psychosocial, neurocognitive, socioeconomic, and biomedical outcomes for children,” according to the researchers. “Psychosocial threats for children and adolescents bereft of parents or caregivers include increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and suicidal attempts. These consequences can be compounded by mitigation-related isolation, school closures, and inability to participate in bereavement practices.”

The Coalition to Support Grieving Students has published a guide on “Supporting Grieving Students During a Pandemic” with links to resources on topics such as secondary and cumulative losses, grief triggers and professional self-care. Find it at content.acsa.org. Find more resources from the coalition at https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/resources/covid-19-pandemic-resources/.

SEL guide updated to provide better guidance on programs

Addressing the social and emotional needs of children is a vital part of their overall development — one that is even more important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Wallace Foundation has updated its popular practitioner guide to social and emotional learning — “Navigating SEL from the Inside Out” — to include information on 33 evidence-based programs, from pre-K through elementary school. The guide is intended to help practitioners better understand program content and how they can apply programs to suit children in their district or community.

As part of the 2021 refresh, “Navigating SEL from the Inside Out” also features new chapters that include recommendations for achieving equitable SEL (including common barriers and best practices) and guidance on trauma-informed or trauma-sensitive approaches to SEL.

The updated report offers practitioners from schools, early childhood education providers and out-of-school time organizations a detailed look at specific skills, instructional methods and implementation features/supports offered by each SEL program. In addition to helping practitioners make decisions about implementing pre-packaged programs, the guide is also a useful resource for those who want to build their own programs. Find it at https://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/pages/navigating-social-and-emotional-learning-from-the-inside-out.aspx.