This research report discusses findings on the impact on families of the death of a child and makes some strong recommendations directed to a greater understanding and improved support services by various bodies. 

Among the 20 recommendations in Beyond the death of a child: Social impacts and economic costs of the death of a child, are the following:

• that the Australian Research Council be requested to designate bereavement research as a priority in its next funding round;
• that the Australian Institute of Family Studies be requested to include questions relating to the impact of the death of family members on children in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, and in other research projects as appropriate;
• that Centrelink initiate special occupational programs offered by grief-related trained personnel to help bereaved family members over the transition hurdles of returning to work, changing employment or seeking new employment;
• that organisations which offer existing support programs be requested to establish 'bridging' support programs for families of terminally ill children, covering both pre-death and post-death periods

The other 20 recommendations made in the research report concern ways that a wide variety of arms of government, as well as national and state organisations, could implement mechanisms for cushioning the impact on families of the loss of a child and supporting families, who normally struggle socially, economically and in so many other ways.

The report's findings include the impact of the loss of adult children.

Its authors are Jon Stebbins and Tervour Batrouney and the research was funded by the William Buckland Foundation. The publisher is Compassionate Friends Victoria Inc. See: http://www.compassionatefriendsvictoria.org.au.

The PDF of the summary report is at: http://preview.tinyurl.com/yslmzc.