Becca Guenther, 30 of Garden City and a grief counselor at Angela Hospice Center adds a quote of inspiration to the memorial walk during the second annual Camp Monarch run by Angela Hospice Center at the Madonna University Welcome Center in Livonia on August 4, 2023. The two-day camp is for children ages 5 to 17 who have experienced the loss of a loved one to allow them to bond with other kids their age, talk about grief and get consoling from adults.© Eric Seals, Detroit Free Press

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Everyone kept the petting zoo a surprise, so the happy rush of kids taking selfies with a llama named Tony and climbing into the pen with two Polish chickens is unexpectedly joyous.

Staff and volunteers have intentionally made the morning nothing but fun. With the drumming circle and singing, the coloring and story time, this could be a regular summer camp. But the 42 children enrolled in Camp Monarch, a service of Angela Hospice in Livonia, Michigan, are here for a dual purpose.

They’re here to enjoy themselves, but also to remember lost loved ones, learn coping skills for the grief that will follow them through their childhoods and to connect with people who understand the complex emotions and behaviors that stem from bereavement.

One child out of every 11 in Michigan — nearly 200,000 total — will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the time they turn 18, according to Judi’s House, a research organization focused on child bereavement data. By the time youth hit 25 years old, that number more than doubles.

The children at Camp Monarch have lost parents, siblings or other close loved ones from homicide, suicide, car accidents, overdoses, COVID or other health conditions.

Yet our culture doesn’t teach children how to grieve, rarely validates their experiences or acknowledges their pain. Grief camps are a place where, just for a day or two, children who have lost someone they love can connect with other kids who are walking the same heart-rending road, and know they aren’t alone.