Watson Coleman Resolution To Help Kids Who Lost Parents To COVID

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) on Monday introduced a resolution to help children who lost their caregivers in the COVID-19 epidemic.

The resolution, introduced along with Haley Stevens (MI-11), calls on the Federal Government to identify services and resources to assist the children.

Over 200,000 children in the United States have lost a primary caregiver to COVID-19, according to Watson Coleman’s office. Children who lose a caregiver are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, have lower academic attainment, and increased rates of drug and alcohol abuse.

During the pandemic, access to resources become hard to come by as many schools closed and face-to-face counseling was limited.

"As we respond and recover from the coronavirus pandemic, extra attention must be paid to its most vulnerable victims: the hundreds of thousands of children who lost parents and other caregivers,” Watson Coleman said in a statement.

“The sudden loss of a loved one is traumatic for any child during normal conditions. The added difficulty of seeking help during the pandemic will compound this loss, putting children at further risk. Addressing this crisis, including the mental health needs of our children will be a long process and focusing on those children who have lost caregivers must be a priority.”

The resolution also recognizes that there may be unknown, long-term consequences of the loss of a caregiver in the context of the larger global pandemic.

Grieving a COVID-19-related death disproportionate impacts children of color and rural youths, said Micki Burns, Ph.D., chief clinical officer for Judi’s House/JAG Institute, a community-based nonprofit that provides comprehensive grief care services for bereaved youth and families.

“Now more than ever, the bereavement field must systematically assess and address programming gaps to foster equitable services by bringing together diverse partners and perspectives to ensure all children can access appropriate care,” Burns said.

From January 2020 to December 2021, over 167,000 children under the age of 18 lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19, according to a report by the University of Pennsylvania, Nemours Children’s Health and the COVID Collaborative.

Black and Hispanic Children lost caregivers at more than double the rate than white children and American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander children lost caregivers at almost four times the rate of White children, the report found.

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