ABSTRACT
The death of a child is not something to be joked about, or laughed at. It is an event from which a parent does not recover: life is never quite the same again, nor should be, for now it incorporates an unnatural event. Some basic principles apply to the establishment of any support service, whether it be a group, befriending, counselling or a multipurpose centre. One difficulty is that people do not always know what they want in their distress, or whether the support being offered will suit them. Care for the carers is essential in such an emotionally demanding area of work. Management and administrative structures are necessary to any support system, however informal. An open meeting of all the interested parties needs a clear agenda, someone to take a chairing role and someone to take names and notes.
