Why Should National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day Matter to Me?

Hey adoption community—guess what else happens this year on the 5th of May besides the Cinco de Mayo? That’s right, Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day coincides with everyone’s favorite day for carnitas, and it’s going to be great! So what’s National Children’s Mental Health Awareness day all about? Here are some FAQs:

Why do we care about the US Government’s efforts to make resources available to youth who need mental and behavioral health services?

Studies have shown that kids in our adoption and foster communities are much more likely to need treatment, aid, and guidance than kids outside of that community. Plus, foster kids who age out are much more likely to become teen parents, and we want to make sure that everyone gets all the support and help that they need to succeed

Kids from hard places are much more likely to display aggression, have trouble in school, have attachment and authority issues and, trust me, you want to know where to go if things get rough on their side. We are natural-born advocates, adoption community—let’s make sure people know what they need to know.

What resources are available to me while I am grilling my fajitas?

There’s a webcast that you can watch.

There’s a group discussion you can be a part of via text messaging.

We’ve got a hashtag to use throughout May: #HeroesofHope.

What about locally? I don’t want to celebrate alone! 

Check out what your community is doing for the event. Cool things are happening, such as carnivals, giveaways, and family fun days.

Mental Health Awareness is a huge deal. The bottom line is this: We have more and more kids who need to know that they are not alone. Maybe those kids are in your community; maybe in your home. They are entitled to services and treatment so that they can grow up and be the amazing men and women that we know they can be. Make a stand, get involved, and be #heroesofhope.