An all too common reality of many homes across our county is the occurrence of domestic violence. Did you know that 1 in 15 children will be exposed to intimate partner violence this year? Of those children who are exposed, one in three will be a direct victim in the act of violence itself.

Unfortunately, our teams experienced this tragedy first-hand. Tarrant County saw 11 dependent children lose one or both parents to a domestic violence homicide this year, and three of those children were present and witnessed the homicide.

Anxiety and post-traumatic stress are common in children who have witnessed a violent crime. When you add the death of a parent in this manner, not only is the likelihood increased, but these children are navigating high levels of traumatic grief and the uncertainties of their future. For example:

• Where will I live?

• Who will I live with?

• Will I be with my brother or sister?

Many are also facing the addition of ambiguous grief, which is the grief associated with the loss of the other parent/caregiver that is out of their lives due to their involvement in the act of violence.

While our collective multi-disciplinary team rallies around our Tarrant County children, providing them access to an array of services, the impact of this unthinkable act will be felt for years to come. Through our mental health work with children, our goal is to give them tools to navigate this trauma while recognizing this was not their fault. We will continue to work with protective caregivers in supporting children today and planning for their future needs, both physically and emotionally.