The pandemic caused severe stress for our children and they’re still struggling. Their faces might be buried in their screens, and they might not have the words to tell you. But you can see it. And you can feel it.

• Almost 3 in 4 mental health problems, like depression and anxiety, start in childhood and adolescence.

They’re getting sicker because they can’t get mental health care when they need it.

Our kids are winding up in crisis in Emergency Departments and in hospital because their mental health isn’t treated soon enough.

• In 2020, nearly 1 in 4 hospitalizations for children and youth ages 5 to 24 were for mental health conditions.

Parents can’t fix broken bones. We have health care for that. Mental health should be no different. But parents don’t know how – or where – to get their children help.

Children have a help line of their own, and it saves lives. But 75% of kids can’t get the mental health care they need. They need care before it comes to crisis.

Our system forces children to get very sick before we give them mental health care.This isn’t rational. And it’s not humane.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in children ages 10-19. We can’t just be shocked by this. We need the government to act. Sign your name.