Children and teens who are grieving can experience a sense of isolation as they struggle with deep and complicated feelings. Often, they do not know anyone one else who has suffered a similar loss.

Camp Brave Heart is a bereavement camp offered at no cost for children and teens who are grieving the death of someone important in their life. It is a fun, high-energy camp combined with grief education, peer bonding, and emotional support led by grief support professionals and trained volunteers.

Camp Brave Heart is a 4 day/3night camp at John Knox Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. Through shared recreational and therapeutic activities, campers hear each other’s stories, explore their grief in a safe and understanding environment, and learn ways to help them cope with their loss.

Camp Brave Heart 2025 will take place Wednesday, June 4th through Saturday, June 7th.

The 2025 camp will be for children and teens who are completing 1st – 9th grades in the 2024-2025 school year.

Fill out application here.  Spanish version available here.  

Campers are accepted on a first come first serve basis, however the following children will be given priority:

• Have never attended Camp Brave Heart or 2018’s Camp Erin Central Texas
• Have only had the chance to attend Camp Brave Heart virtually (2020 or 2021)
• Have attended Camp Brave Heart and experienced another death since attending

If a child or teen has attended in a previous year and they do not fall into a category above, they will be placed on a waitlist. If any camper spots are open after the application deadline, they will be offered to return campers four weeks before camp. Available space will be dependent on which age group(s) have room for additional campers.

If you have any questions about Camp Brave Heart, please contact the Bereavement Department at 512-342-4700; bereavement@hospiceaustin.org.
Se habla español.

Camp Brave Heart is provided to families free of charge due in large part to the financial support of generous donors.

Hospice Austin offers additional bereavement support services for children, teens and adults. If you would like further information about our resources or other grief resources in the community, please call 512-342-4700 or click here.

Written By: Kyleigh Halliwell

Since I was born, I knew my mom was sick. I remember being young and not understanding why my mom had to visit the hospital so much or why I was always being told to be careful because her heart couldn’t take a lot of stress.

It wasn’t until I got older that I understood she had congestive heart failure—more specifically, Postpartum Cardiomyopathy. My mom’s heart couldn’t function properly on its own, and that was a scary thing to learn at such a young age. It was scary because I knew, even as a child, that my mom was going to die. I just didn’t know when.