Comfort Zone Camp: A Guide for Surviving Parents and Caregivers

If you or your child are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or text HOME to 741741.

If you're reading this, somebody died. I'm sorry. I've been there. It's horrible.

You're looking for a camp because your kid's parent died, or your kid's sibling died, and you don't know what else to do. There's a camp for this. It's called Comfort Zone Camp. It's free, it runs over one weekend, and every kid there has a person who died.

That's the short version. The rest of this page is the long version.

What Comfort Zone Camp is

Comfort Zone Camp is a free weekend camp for children ages 7 to 17 whose parent or sibling died. Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. Cabins grouped by age. Each kid is matched with a Big Buddy, a trained adult volunteer who stays with that kid the whole weekend.

The volunteers are screened. They're trained in childhood grief through curriculum developed with the Dougy Center and the National Alliance for Grieving Children. Verify the current curriculum on the Comfort Zone site at comfortzonecamp.org. The training isn't therapy. The volunteers aren't therapists. They're people who know how to sit with a kid who's having a hard hour.

Cost

Free.

Including, in many regions, transportation help to and from camp.

Free again, on purpose. Parents skim. The number is zero dollars.

Where it runs

Comfort Zone runs camps in a rotating set of states. As of the most recent program calendar, that includes California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Virginia, with one rotating site that changes year to year. Verify the current state list at comfortzonecamp.org before you make a plan. The schedule changes annually.

There's also a virtual program for kids who can't travel. It isn't the same as a weekend in person. It's something. Worth knowing about.

Who it's for

Children ages 7 to 17 whose parent died. Children ages 7 to 17 whose sibling died.

Not for kids who lost only a grandparent. Not for kids whose parent has cancer but is alive. Not for kids dealing with divorce, adoption, foster transition, or a parent who is deployed.

This is specific on purpose. Every kid at camp has a person who died. The whole structure depends on that. If your kid doesn't qualify, the grief camps by state page lists camps with broader eligibility, and the free bereavement camps for kids page covers Experience Camps and Camp Erin, which run on the same model.

What happens at camp

Friday: arrival. Cabins. Dinner. A short opening circle.

Saturday: small groups in the morning. Not therapy. Not group therapy. Structured time where kids who want to talk about their person can, and kids who don't want to don't have to. Free time. Activities. Typical camp things. Ropes course, art, swimming. Saturday night campfire.

Sunday: a closing morning. Then home.

Day one, many kids don't talk about it. Day three, somebody often does. Then more do.

Comfort Zone staff describe this rhythm in program materials. Individual children vary.

Kids aren't forced to share. They can. Some kids talk about their person the first hour. Some kids talk about their person never. Both are fine. Both are common.

What it doesn't do

Camp doesn't fix it. Nothing does.

Camp doesn't replace therapy. If your kid is in therapy, stay in therapy. If your kid needs therapy, the camp isn't a substitute.

Camp doesn't change the family situation at home. The hard things that were hard on Thursday are still hard on Monday.

What camp does is one weekend where your kid is not the only one in the room who knows. That's the whole product. It isn't small.

How to register

Registration runs through comfortzonecamp.org. Spots are limited. Register early. The program is funded by donations. By the time slots open, demand exceeds supply in most regions.

The site asks for the basics. Child's age. Whose person died and when. Surviving parent or guardian contact. A few questions about how the kid is doing. There's no fee. There's no income test.

If a session you want is full, ask to be added to the waitlist and ask about the next session in your region. The staff at Comfort Zone answer the phone. If you can't get to email, call.

For the surviving parent

You're tired. I know.

You can rest for 48 hours. You're allowed.

Some surviving parents send their kid to Comfort Zone because the kid needs it. Some send their kid because they themselves can't function for the weekend and need to sleep, cry, eat something, walk around the house alone, sit on the floor, do nothing. Both are real reasons. The second one isn't selfish.

You did not cause this. You are not failing your kid by needing rest. You are not failing your kid by being a person whose person also died.

Friends stop saying his name. Or her name. You can keep saying it.

Children may cry less than expected. Grief organizations including the Dougy Center and the National Alliance for Grieving Children describe this as a normal feature of childhood grief, not denial. Each child grieves differently. If you're concerned, consult a licensed grief therapist. The Cleveland Clinic has written about this in language that's plain and worth reading. Surviving siblings often grieve last because adults focus on the parent. Your kid may be doing fine in front of you and not fine in private. Camp is one place that may surface that. Therapy is the place to work it. Both can be true.

You aren't healing. You aren't broken. You're someone whose person died.

If your state isn't covered

Comfort Zone runs in seven or eight states plus a virtual program. If yours isn't on the list this year, three options.

One: Experience Camps. Free, week-long sleepaway. Runs in California, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, New York, and Texas. Same eligibility frame. Kids 9 to 17 whose person died. See free bereavement camps for kids.

Two: Camp Erin. Run by Eluna in roughly thirty cities. Free weekend program. Same eligibility frame. The grief camps by state page lists locations.

Three: a local hospice or children's bereavement program. Many regional hospices run free day or weekend programs for grieving children. Not always called "camp." Often the closest option.

FAQ

Is Comfort Zone Camp really free? Yes. There's no fee. Transportation help is available in some regions. The program is funded by donations.

What ages does Comfort Zone Camp serve? Ages 7 to 17. The program groups by age within that range.

My kid's grandparent died. Can my kid go? Comfort Zone is structured around children whose parent or sibling died. Grandparent-only loss is generally not eligible. Some regional programs are broader. See grief camps by state.

Does Comfort Zone Camp run year-round? Multiple sessions per region per year. Not summer-only. Check comfortzonecamp.org for the current schedule.

Is Comfort Zone Camp religious? No. The program isn't religious and doesn't require any faith background.

My kid does not want to go. Should I make them? Hard question. Some kids who don't want to go end up wanting to come back. Some kids really don't want to go and forcing it makes the weekend worse. The Comfort Zone staff can talk through this with you. Call them. They've done this before.

What if my kid is in therapy already? Stay in therapy. Camp isn't a replacement. Many therapists are familiar with Comfort Zone and can help your kid prepare. Ask the therapist before the weekend.

Is there a camp for younger kids? Comfort Zone starts at 7. For younger children, regional hospice grief programs are usually the better fit. Some Camp Erin sites take kids as young as 6.

Can I attend with my child? Comfort Zone is a kids' camp. Some sessions include adult components or family weekends. The schedule varies by region.

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The camp doesn't fix it. Nothing does. But for one weekend your kid won't be the only one in the room who knows.

If you're also looking at Experience Camps or Camp Erin, see free bereavement camps for kids and grief camps by state.

You may also be researching: how to choose a summer camp.

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Disclaimer

This article is informational only and reflects best-effort research at time of publication. Information may change. We're a directory — we surface options and how to evaluate fit; we don't replace direct conversations with the providers, programs, or professionals listed. Editorially reviewed by YouthCampsBase Editorial. Not clinically reviewed. Last reviewed: 2026-04-25.

A note before you read — last reviewed 2026-04-25. This page is informational only and is not therapy and not a substitute for care by a licensed mental-health professional (psychologist, psychiatrist, LCSW, LPC) in your state. Grief and crisis are individual; what fits one family may not fit yours. If you or your child is in crisis or thinking about suicide or self-harm: call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 988lifeline.org). Text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line). Call 911 for any medical emergency. Veterans: 988, press 1. Programs referenced are peer-support, not clinical treatment; verify directly. Reviewed editorially by YouthCampsBase Editorial — not clinically reviewed.