When someone dies, parents separate or life at home changes suddenly, the nursery is often the steadiest place in a young child’s world. This child bereavement training for early years practitioners shows you how under-fives understand loss, what their grief looks like, and the honest words and steady routines that help. It also covers separation, new babies, house moves and blended families, and how to look after yourself and your team while you do this work.
Why bereavement support matters in the early years
Young children grieve too, but not in the way adults expect. Children under five generally do not yet grasp that death is permanent, so a three-year-old may sincerely ask whether Mummy will be back for her birthday. They grieve in bursts, crying one minute and playing on the slide the next, and they may quietly believe the death was their fault. Grieving children are easily misread as “fine” or “not bothered”, and well-meant phrases such as “gone to sleep” can plant real fears.
The key person is the anchor for a grieving child, and the course notes that the EYFS makes that relationship a statutory requirement. It also points out that staff supervision is a statutory EYFS requirement, and that supervision is the right place to talk through the emotional impact of supporting a bereaved child. Grief itself is not a safeguarding concern, but bereavement puts families under strain, so staying alert to changes in care remains part of the job.
What’s in the course
- How young children understand death and lossHow the concept of death develops, why questions repeat, magical thinking, and why routine matters.
- Grief in the early years: what it looks likeGrief in bursts, play as processing, regression, anger and body complaints, and when to look closer.
- What to say: honest language that helpsSaying “died”, the euphemisms that frighten, answering at the child’s pace, and following the family’s beliefs.
- Supporting a bereaved child day to dayThe key person as anchor, memory-keeping, preparing the room, difficult dates and signposting.
- Family change: separation, new babies and moving onStaying neutral, keeping both parents informed, new siblings, house moves, blended families and parents away.
- Looking after yourself and your teamEmotional labour, team check-ins, supervision and writing a bereavement plan before you need one.
- Assessment10 questions. Pass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
What you’ll learn
- Why understanding that death is permanent, universal and irreversible usually consolidates around five to seven
- Why repeated questions are healthy processing, and how to answer with the same simple words every time
- How to reassure a child explicitly that nothing they did, said or thought made it happen
- Why “gone to sleep”, “lost” and “gone away” frighten literal-minded children, and the plain words to use instead
- How to respond to regression, clinginess and anger without adding shame to grief
- How to plan with families for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and anniversaries
- Why you never withhold a child or information from a parent with parental responsibility on the other parent’s say-so, unless you have seen a court order
- What a written bereavement plan should cover, and where to signpost families, including Child Bereavement UK and Winston’s Wish
Who this course is for
- Key persons and practitioners caring for a child going through a death or family change
- Room leaders who plan family-themed activities and celebrations
- Managers who want a bereavement plan and clear procedures for separated families
- Anyone who wants to feel more confident answering children’s questions about death
How it works
- OnlineStudy on any device and pick up where you left off.
- 6 short lessonsAbout 45 minutes in total.
- 10-question assessmentPass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
- CertificateIssued when you pass. NFAQ accredited.
Training your team
A grieving child needs every adult in the room to use the same honest words and hold the same routines, so this course works best taken by the whole team. Choose the number of learners at checkout, with group rates from 3 learners, or get it as part of the Training Portal for £5 per learner per month. It pairs well with Attachment Theory and the Key Person Approach and Emotion Coaching and Supporting Self-Regulation.
Frequently asked questions
Should we use the word “died” with young children?
Yes. Young children are very literal, so plain words are clearer and kinder than euphemisms. A simple explanation that the person’s body stopped working and cannot be mended helps far more than “gone to sleep” or “lost”.
A bereaved child seems happy at nursery. Are they coping?
Possibly, but happy play does not mean a child is over it. Young children grieve in short bursts and then return to ordinary play. Both are genuine, and grief often returns months later around anniversaries or new stages.
What if the family’s beliefs differ from mine?
Follow the family’s lead. Ask early what the child has been told and which words the family uses, keep the physical facts clear alongside any belief, and keep your own beliefs out of the conversation.
Does the course cover separation and divorce?
Yes. A full lesson covers parental separation, new siblings, house moves, blended families and a parent working away or in prison, including how to stay neutral and keep both parents with parental responsibility informed.
What happens if I don’t pass the assessment?
You can resit it as many times as you need until you pass. Your certificate is issued as soon as you reach the 80% pass mark.
When should a family get extra help?
If grief is severely disrupting a child’s eating, sleeping, play or relationships and not easing, encourage the family to speak to their GP or health visitor. Child Bereavement UK and Winston’s Wish run helplines that families and settings can call for advice.
