Free Kids' Grief & Trauma Groups — Davenport, IA | Rick's RAY of Hope
Rick’s RAY of Hope has served as the Quad Cities region’s center for grieving and traumatized youth for more than sixteen years, offering hope and guidance to children experiencing grief, loss, or trauma. Founded in 1998 and now a program of the Vera French Community Mental Health Center at the Clinic at Duck Creek in Davenport, Rick’s provides its support services at no cost to families.
What to Expect
Rick’s RAY of Hope offers fall, winter, and spring support groups for children of all ages and developmental levels — including dedicated Youth Groups, a Teen Girls Group, and a Little’s Group for younger children — along with special holiday events for coping with difficult times of year and crisis debriefing for traumatic situations involving children. Groups use age-appropriate activities to help kids name their feelings, share their stories, and learn that they are not alone in what they are carrying. Current group schedules and flyers are posted on the program’s webpage each season.
Who This Group Is For
Rick’s serves children ages 3 to 18 and their family members from the Quad Cities and nearby counties in Iowa and Illinois who are navigating grief, loss, or trauma — the death of a parent or sibling, a frightening event, or other major disruption to a child’s world. Parents and caregivers are supported alongside their children.
Why Peer Support Works
Grieving and traumatized children often feel like the only kid in their school carrying something so heavy. Sitting in a room with other children who understand changes that. Structured peer groups give kids language for their feelings, models for healthy coping, and the steady reassurance of trained, screened facilitators — support that helps prevent isolated grief from hardening into longer-term struggles.
How to Join
Services are free of charge. Contact Rick’s RAY of Hope at (563) 324-9580 or rhoh@verafrenchmhc.org to register for a seasonal group or learn what is currently enrolling. The program is housed at the Vera French Clinic at Duck Creek in Davenport, Iowa — see the program webpage for current schedules and registration forms.