CORNING, NY (WENY) -- Adults often struggle with how to deal with grief, and so do children; often not knowing how to process the emotions of the loss of a loved one or a pet.

To put the issue in the spotlight, the third Thursday in November is designated as Children's Grief Awareness Day. CareFirst New York has partnered with the Southeast Steuben County Library in Corning for several years now, to show families that there is support and resources available to help work through loss.

Thursday afternoon, members with CareFirst NY and the library received a written proclamation from State Senator Tom O'Mara and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano, recognizing the importance of the day and the work being done to support children and their families.

One sobering statistic shared by CareFirst shows that one in 20 children will lose a parent by the age of 18. But loss came come in all different forms. 

"Children go through multiple losses, it’s not just physical losses – sometimes children move, they lose a friend, oftentimes losing a pet. At some point or another, children will go through a loss experience for the first time," said Ric Miller, a Grief Support Coordinator with CareFirst NY. "Oftentimes they are looking for people to kind of talk to about how they are feeling. So it's important for the families and the community to know where they can go, and what resources are available for them, in order to support them with having that conversation. Or if they're not comfortable, finding people that can support them and have that conversation for them."

The Southeast Steuben County Library in Corning has a dedicated section of books in its children's area, focused on loss of all types, and how to talk about the feelings of grief.

"Everybody deals with grief differently. Some are willing to share how they're going through their grief, others hold it in. We have wonderful resources, we have some books that we've gotten from CareFirst. Sometimes you just need to read a book and realize that what you're going through is normal," said Children's librarian, Sue McConnell. 

McConnell and Miller also help to run a camp at the library each August, called 'Good Grief' camp - where kids who have gone through loss can come together and connect with other children, while enjoying a week of crafts and fun activities.