The TEARS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that seeks to compassionately lift a financial burden from bereaved families who have experienced a pregnancy or infant loss by providing funds to assist with the cost of burial or cremation services. We also offer parents comprehensive bereavement care in the form of grief support groups and peer companions. We believe that every child’s life deserves to be honored and memorialized in accordance with the grieving parents’ wishes.
The TEARS Foundation was founded in 2002 in Washington State by Sarah Slack in honor of her son Jesse. Over the years, The TEARS Foundation has expanded with numerous state and international chapters. Please visit www.thetearsfoundation.org for more information.
The Massachusetts Chapter was established in September 2015. The Angel of Hope Monument in Hyannis, MA was unveiled in October 2018, offering a quiet place for families to honor and remember their babies. The Massachusetts Center for Child Loss officially opened in June 2019 in Northborough, MA. The Center provides a safe, comforting space for bereaved families to meet with peer companions, explore community grief resources, and attend support groups, volunteer meetings, and remembrance gatherings.
Funds raised at various events throughout the year support the necessary operating costs for the Massachusetts Center for Child Loss as well as supporting the financial and emotional resource programs to assist local bereaved families in Massachusetts.
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Resources provided by the Massachusetts Chapter of The TEARS Foundation
Remembrance Events & Virtual Ceremonies - Honoring while supporting the healing process.
Support Groups - A caring atmosphere where grieving parents with similar experiences can connect. Contact for current groups and dates.
Closed Facebook Groups - Bereaved parents can safely receive online support.
Peer Companions - Meet with a bereaved parent who has had a pregnancy or infant loss, has at least 2 years through their grief process, and has completed peer companion training.
Comfort Kits - Thoughtfully designed packages include remembrance and grief items for newly bereaved families. Contact to be included on the waitlist.
Volunteer Opportunities - A meaningful way to give back to the community in honor of a baby or someone you know who has had a loss. Contact for current opportunities.
Angel of Hope Monument - An everlasting memorial for reflection and remembrance.
Rock & Walk for Babies - Annual memorial walk raises funds to support local bereaved families while honoring the lives of babies gone too soon.
Infant Funeral Assistance - Financial assistance for burial or cremation expenses.*
Jesse’s Grant Marker Program - Financial assistance in purchasing a grave marker.*
The Charlie and Braden Project - Financial funeral assistance for children ages 1-12.*