Mr Henry supports the debate on bereaved children's support and highlights his constituent Aaron’s case, who lost his wife during childbirth. He emphasises that no one should face the additional stress of employment issues while dealing with such a loss, advocating for a day-one right to leave and pay for those who lose a partner in childbirth.

I would like to start by thanking the Backbench Business Committee for granting this debate and the hon. Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine) for sharing her own experiences, as well as for being a voice for so many children who feel forgotten during a difficult time. When I was at primary school, I lost my father and there was no support or counselling at school. Later, when my eldest brother died, I had to deal with the death certificate process and sit A-level exams without any adjustments despite my school's efforts. The situation has had a considerable impact on our outlook on life, leading to separation anxiety and difficulties adapting to change. We need guidelines for schools, care, counselling and support for young children, clear signposting of local charities, and GPs equipped with knowledge to identify families in difficulty. Data collection is necessary to understand the number of affected children each year and address service gaps. Lastly, we need to understand the impact of childhood bereavement on those children as they grow older.

I thank the hon. Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine) and the hon. Member for Coventry North West (Taiwo Owatemi) for their contributions. The story of Yvonne, who lost her mother at age nine, highlights the confusion and loss experienced by bereaved children. There are no automatic processes in place for referrals to help, despite charities like Belfast Barnardo’s and Winston’s Wish doing a magnificent job. An automatic referral system is needed due to the lack of support from families during their own grief. The education sector in Northern Ireland is considering bereavement training for teachers, which should be rolled out further. We must ensure that grieving children are given the option of speaking with someone without having to request it themselves.

Ms Gibson shared her personal experiences of childhood bereavement, highlighting the long-term impacts on mental health and well-being. She advocated for better support mechanisms, including paid bereavement leave, to help parents manage their grief while supporting their children. She emphasised the critical role of schools in providing emotional support but noted that this support is not always consistent or adequate. Ms Gibson also expressed concern about the government's streamlining of bereavement payments, arguing that it disproportionately affects women and limits necessary financial assistance for grieving families.

I thank the hon. Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine) for securing this incredibly challenging debate and pay tribute to her work in raising this issue. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry North West (Taiwo Owatemi) and the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for their contributions. Bereavement is profoundly impactful on children, with an estimated 46,300 children under 17 affected annually by parental death. Without further data, we cannot know how many more are impacted by other close relatives' deaths. Schools need tools to support grieving children, but they face challenges due to the pandemic, crumbling infrastructure, and budget restrictions. Teachers often step in as mental health staff, yet trained mental health resources are scarce, leaving children without timely help and exacerbating their educational setbacks. Labour recognises that a preventive approach is needed to support mental health services and ensure all children receive treatment within a month of referral. We aim to place specialist mental health professionals in every school and establish open-access mental health hubs for children and young people in every community. This will take pressure off teachers, allow young people to thrive at school, and provide early support outside the educational environment.

The Government are committed to ensuring that bereaved children get the help they need. They provide various forms of support, including financial assistance through bereavement support payments and additional funding for early help services, family help, and mental health support teams. The Minister highlighted the importance of schools in providing pastoral care but stressed the necessity of specialist support from professionals.

She shared her personal experience of losing both a parent and a sibling during her youth, emphasising the compounded emotional impact on academic performance. She mentioned that exam boards offer special consideration to candidates affected by bereavement.

She discussed the financial impacts of losing a parent, mentioning bereavement support payments consisting of an initial lump sum followed by up to 18 instalments, with higher amounts for those with children.

He highlighted the role of the voluntary sector in supporting schools and children’s social care, which is essential in signposting bereaved children to support services.

The Member thanked the Minister for his comments and everyone who participated late into the night. She noted that speeches from other Members reflected similar concerns about support availability but lack of awareness among those in need. She praised the Government’s commitment to ensuring children receive necessary support and services, asking them to continue listening to survivors' suggestions on improving coordination for better assistance.