This can raise or limit the value of a wrongful death case because it deals with a child's non-financial loss after a parent dies. In practical terms, it is the loss of the parent's teaching, advice, supervision, judgment, care, and day-to-day direction that would likely have been provided over time. It is usually treated as a form of non-economic damages, not a wage loss or medical bill.

Technically, the phrase means the deprivation of a parent's guidance and support in raising a child. That can include help with decisions, discipline, education, safety habits, emotional development, and general life instruction. Courts and insurers look at the parent's role in the child's life, the child's age, the relationship before the death, and how long that guidance likely would have continued.

In an injury claim involving a death, this issue can affect settlement value because it speaks to what surviving children actually lost beyond household income. Evidence may include testimony from family members, teachers, or others who saw the parent's involvement. In Kansas, these losses are generally pursued under the Kansas Wrongful Death Act, and Kansas law places a $250,000 cap on certain nonpecuniary damages in wrongful death cases under K.S.A. 60-1903. If the death happened on the job, a separate workers' compensation claim may go through the Kansas Division of Workers Compensation.