New Jersey mandates grief education in schools

New Jersey to mandate grief education for students

Schools in New Jersey will now be required to teach kids about grief and how to handle loss as part of health class.

NEW JERSEY - New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed a bill into law that now requires public and private schools in the state to teach about grief in health class starting in the eighth grade.

State Senator Jon Bramnick sponsored the bill.

"We have a mental health crisis in the country. We talk about it all the time. This is a bill that requires the teaching of loss and grief in the public schools and health classes. So if a child loses a parent or a sibling, there's going to be some discussion as to what people go through when they suffer grief and loss," Bramnick said.

The course work is still in development but it could begin being taught in New Jersey schools as early as September.