YoloCares awarded $110,000 grant for children’s grief

YoloCares awarded $110,000 grant for children’s grief

April 2, 2025 — YoloCares has been awarded a highly competitive, three-year $110,000 Grief Reach Grant from the New York Life Foundation, the National Alliance for Children’s Grief, and Changemakers to expand YoloCares for Kids’ grief programs.

Namely, the grant will fund the Peer2Peer grief support groups, a program designed to guide children and teens coping with the loss of a loved one. The Peer2Peer program pairs teens with younger children in a multi-generational buddy system, breaking down the typical barriers that often hinder grief support for these age groups. This approach to peer support will serve children as young as three and be open to teens of all ages, offering an inclusive and comprehensive support network.

In addition to Peer2Peer, YoloCares for Kids will introduce a dedicated grief support program for youth transitioning out of the foster care system. This program will use virtual meetings, social media platforms, and in-person social events to provide crucial support and connection. Transportation assistance will also be available to ensure that young people navigating life after foster care are able to access the resources they need.

As part of the grant, Year One will focus on partnering with Changemakers to enhance program evaluation tools and processes for YoloCares for Kids. This partnership will not only strengthen the effectiveness of the Peer2Peer and foster youth programs but will also serve as a roadmap for all YoloCares’ programs to improve impact assessment and measurement.

The Grief Reach Grant is awarded twice a year to only a handful of the country’s most high-impact, innovative children’s grief programs. Out of hundreds of applicants—often over 100 per cycle—YoloCares was selected for its reach, impact, and the unique structure of its Peer2Peer program.

“The highly competitive nature of the Grief Reach Grant highlights the significance of this achievement for YoloCares and the stellar vision of Elisa Stone, the program’s creator,“ says Chris Erdman, Director of the Center for Loss & Hope (CLH). “Our goal is to be national leaders in grief support by offering the most innovative programs to our community. This award will allow us to expand our vision and our reach.”

The Grief Reach Grant is one of the nation’s most prestigious awards in the field of children’s grief, and receiving it places YoloCares for Kids among the top grief programs in the country. This support will allow YoloCares to continue to expand its mission and offer life-changing resources for children, teens, and young adults experiencing the profound impact of loss.