We have listed several websites below that we feel may be of assistance to you. We have included website resources for consumers and professionals as well as for those who may be seeking support and information regarding their loss. These websites are intended to provide you with additional information on a variety of topics; as such, the VFDA does not necessarily endorse all content on external sites.

If you would like further information on these or any other topics, we encourage you to contact your local trusted funeral professional.

 Links to Consumer Information
The following links are for consumers wishing to find more information related to business issues within the funeral industry, including laws, consumer protection information, and statistics.

• National Funeral Directors Association - As the largest funeral service organization in the world, the NFDA provides advocacy, education, information, products, programs and services to help members enhance the quality of service to families.
  
  
• National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association - NFD&MA is a membership association of professional funeral directors and morticians and embalmers, whose members and members-at-large are also members of state associations of funeral directors, morticians and embalmers dedicated to promoting the common professional and business interests of its members.
  
  
• International Cemetery and Funeral Association - The International Cemetery and Funeral Association (ICFA) is the only international trade association representing the entire allied cemetery, funeral and memorialization industries. The ICFA promotes consumer choices, pre-arrangement and open competition by helping its members to increase their management proficiency and meet their business needs.
  
  
• Better Business Bureau - Founded in 1912 and supported by 250,000 local business members nationwide, the BBB is dedicated to fostering fair and honest relationships between businesses and consumers, instilling consumer confidence and contributing to an ethical business environment.
  
  
• Federal Trade Commission - The Federal Trade Commission enforces a variety of federal antitrust and consumer protection laws; they seek to ensure that the nation's markets function competitively, and are vigorous, efficient, and free of undue restrictions. The Commission also works to enhance the smooth operation of the marketplace by eliminating acts or practices that are unfair or deceptive. For specific information related to consumer rights as they relate to funerals and funeral practices, please click here.
  
  
• Funeral Ethics Association - The Funeral Ethics Association resolves problems for people who are having difficulty in getting a fair response from the funeral director who served them. The Funeral Ethics Association was chartered in 1994 to promote and to advance the ethical practice of funeral service.
  
  
• Social Security Administration - For over 65 years, the Social Security program has been the most successful domestic government program, providing economic protection for Americans of all ages. For specific information regarding benefits, please click here.
  
  
• Veterans' Administration - The VA's purpose is to administer the laws providing benefits and other services to veterans and their dependents and the beneficiaries of veterans. For specific information regarding benefits, please click here.
  
  
• American Association of Retired Persons - The AARP Foundation administers programs that assist older Americans. These programs, funded by grants or cooperative agreements with governments or private organizations, provide a wide variety of services including job training, tax assistance, assistance with important lawsuits being decided by the courts, and much more.

 Links to Caregiving Resources
The following links are intended for those visitors wishing to find more information on grief support, counseling, help networks, and services.

• The Center for Grief & Loss - Offers consumers and providers information, resources, library, training, conferences, support and workshops on grief/loss. It is available through the Twin States Network (website), serving Vermont and New Hampshire, a non-profit organization designed to create a safe environment that allows people living with or affected by chronic or life-threatening conditions to live their lives to the fullest extent possible.
  
  
• American Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Institute - Founded in 1983, the American SIDS Institute, a national nonprofit health care organization, is dedicated to the prevention of sudden infant death and the promotion of infant health through an aggressive, comprehensive nationwide program.
  
  
• Association for Death Education and Counseling - The ADEC is a multi-disciplinary professional organization dedicated to promoting excellence in death education, bereavement counseling, and care of the dying.
  
  
• The Compassionate Friends - The Compassionate Friends is a national nonprofit, self-help support organization that offers friendship and understanding to bereaved parents, grandparents, and siblings following the death of a child of any age.
  
  
• Beyond Indigo - Beyond Indigo is a grief-support resource site where individuals who have experienced a loss come to share through stories and message boards.
  
  
• The Grief Recovery Institute - The Grief Recovery Institute� has been helping people deal with the emotions caused by death, divorce, and other losses for 25 years.
  
  
• Growth House, Inc. - Growth House, Inc. is dedicated to improving the quality of compassionate care for people who are dying through public education and global professional collaboration.
  
  
• Hospice Foundation of America - HFA is a nonprofit organization that promotes hospice care and works to educate professionals and the families they serve in issues relating to caregiving, terminal illness, loss and bereavement.

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