508.755.2340 TTY: 508.890.5584
Seven Hills Foundation

The Carriage House Grief Support Center 

The Carriage House is a grief support center for children ages 3 to 18 years old and their families.  It is the only program in Central Massachusetts providing children and teens a space to grieve the death of a loved one surrounded by peers also experiencing feelings of grief and loss.

Grief Support Groups

The Carriage House provides free peer support groups to children and teens following the death of a parent, caregiver or sibling. Peer support groups meet every other week from October to June and are approximately an hour and a half long.  Adult support groups are also available to the caregivers of children and teens participating in peer support at The Carriage House. Groups are led by Carriage House staff and volunteers who have completed an extensive training program in grief support.

How To Participate

The first step in joining a Carriage House support group is a telephone intake, during which basic information about the family is collected. Each family is then scheduled for an orientation session at The Carriage House to better understand the program and how it runs. Interested families will then complete final paperwork and be assigned to age-appropriate peer groups as space is available. To learn more about participating in a Carriage House grief support group, please call 508.796.1411.

Volunteer for The Carriage House

Helping children and teens who have experienced the death of someone close to them is a meaningful way to make a difference. Our volunteer group facilitators make it possible for grieving families to receive support from The Carriage House.  The commitment of a volunteer group facilitator includes: 20 hours of training and 3.5 hours of time every other week from October to June for at least one year. Volunteer facilitator training is usually provided twice a year. For information about volunteer training, please call 508.796.1411.

Support The Carriage House

No family is charged a fee to participate in grief support groups at The Carriage House. Anyone can make a tax deductible contribution on behalf of The Carriage House to Children’s Friend, Inc. to support the work of this unique central Massachusetts program.

Contact Us

The Carriage House is located at 20 Cedar Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. For more information about participating, volunteering or supporting The Carriage House please contact the Program Manager directly or the Worcester Family Resource Center at 508.796.1411.