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  • About CANA
    • Staff List
    • Code of Cremation Practice
    • Position Statements
    • History of Cremation
    • Board of Directors >
      • Get Involved with CANA
    • Media >
      • News
    • CANA Member Directory
    • Contact Us
  • Choosing Cremation
    • Transport of Cremated Remains
    • Cremation Process
    • Arranging for Cremation >
      • Memorial Options
      • Cremation Services
      • Planning and Payment
      • Choosing a Provider
    • Find Local CANA Members
  • For Practitioners
    • Why Join CANA? >
      • CANA Member Benefits
      • Member Login
    • Self Care for Funeral Professionals
    • Create Your Profile
    • CANA Publications >
      • CANA Cremationist Magazine
      • Blog
      • CANA's Cremation Brochure Series
      • Industry Statistical Information
    • CANA Marketplace
    • 2026 Media Kit
    • Crematory Management Program
    • CANA PR Toolkit
    • CANA Connect - Member Forum
    • Find Local CANA Members
  • Education
    • Access Your Online Courses
    • Crematory Operator Certification >
      • COCP - In English
      • COCP - en français
      • COCP - en Español
      • Pet Cremation (CPCO)
      • Alabama Refresher Program
      • Illinois Refresher Course
    • Cremation Specialist Certification
    • Business Administration Certification
    • Hospice Relations Specialist
    • Continuing Education Online
    • Pet Aftercare
    • Natural Organic Reduction >
      • Natural Organic Reduction Operations Certification
    • Digital Certificates & Badges
    • Academic Scholarships
    • Calendar of Events
    • Webinars
    • 2026 Symposium
    • 108th Convention
  • Career Center

News

ARTICLE

Date ArticleType
5/28/2026 5:00:00 AM CANA Press Release

When Cremation Families Don’t Choose Service, It’s Time to Adapt

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Barbara Kemmis
Phone: (312) 245-1077
499 Northgate Parkway
Wheeling, IL 60090-2646
Barbara@cremationassociation.org

When Cremation Families Don’t Choose Service, It’s Time to Adapt 
Reconnect with Today’s Families with CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist Training

WHEELING, IL — Your business was built to serve families—and today, more of those families are choosing cremation. If cremation families are increasingly selecting simpler options or bypassing services altogether, it may not be a rejection of care or ritual, but a sign that their expectations have changed. The opportunity is not lost: it’s evolving.

The Certified Cremation Specialist (CCS) training from the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) helps funeral professionals understand how to meet cremation families where they are, and bring meaningful service back into the conversation.

Cremation can appear simple on the surface, but grief is not. CANA’s research shows that many long-held assumptions about cremation do not reflect today’s consumer beliefs, behaviors, or expectations. Families who choose cremation are not walking away from meaning, ritual, or professional guidance—they are looking for approaches that align with their values, timing, and preferences.

The CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist program is designed for funeral home owners, managers, and arrangers who want to confidently serve this growing audience. Participants learn how to:

  • Adapt their approach with cremation families — both on the phone and at the arrangement table
  • Communicate value beyond disposition and support families in new ways
  • Stay compliant with the Funeral Rule and ethical standards
  • Create meaningful memorial opportunities before and after cremation

This fully online, self-paced program fits into busy schedules and features eight engaging, thought-provoking courses that translate existing expertise into today’s cremation-forward environment.

Cremation families are still seeking connection, remembrance, and support. With the right approach, funeral professionals remain essential guides in that process.

Become a CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist and expand how you serve. Registration is open now through July 31, 2026. Learn more and register at: cremationassociation.org/CCS

 

About CANA

Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,700 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization.

Copyright 2000-2026 Cremation Assoc. of North America. All rights reserved.
499 Northgate Parkway, Wheeling, IL 60090-2646
v 312.245.1077 f 312.321.4098
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