EBAC Circle of Care — Free Grief & Loss Support Groups — Oakland, CA
The East Bay Agency for Children (EBAC) Circle of Care program provides free or sliding-scale grief and loss support for children, teens, and their families coping with the death of a significant family member. Circle of Care groups meet biweekly in Oakland and Hayward, plus virtually for East Bay families that can’t attend in person. Adult parents and caregivers groups complement the children’s groups, so whole families can process grief together.
What to Expect
Living with Loss peer support groups meet every other week from 6:30-8:00 pm — Tuesday evenings in Hayward and Thursday evenings in Oakland. Children and teens meet in age-appropriate groups led by trained facilitators using talk and expressive arts (drawing, writing, movement, music). Parents and caregivers meet in their own parallel adult groups during the same time, where they work through grief themes via conversation and creative expression. Fees are sliding-scale and no family is turned away for inability to pay. EBAC also offers individual counseling and consultation for families with complicated grief.
Who This Group Is For
Circle of Care serves children and teens (and the parents/caregivers raising them) who have experienced the death of a significant family member — a parent, sibling, grandparent, or other close relative. Families across the East Bay are welcome; the in-person groups primarily serve Oakland and Hayward residents, with virtual options extending reach. EBAC supports families through any kind of death — illness, accident, suicide, overdose, sudden death — and is intentional about creating space for grief without judgment.
Why Peer Support Works
For children and teens grieving a death, sitting with other young people who have experienced loss is often more impactful than any individual intervention. Circle of Care’s age-appropriate peer groups normalize grief, provide tools for working through it, and create lasting friendships among kids who would otherwise feel alone in their experience. Parallel parent groups give caregivers their own space to process the family’s loss while supporting their children through it.
How to Join
Living with Loss groups are free or sliding-scale. Contact EBAC’s Circle of Care at (510) 531-7551 or CircleofCare@ebac.org to enroll. Visit ebac.org/services/circle.asp for full program information. EBAC welcomes inquiries from families regardless of insurance status, income, or immigration status.