The health of
our community’s children and youth is too often characterized by what’s going
wrong and how our kids are getting hurt.
Recent articles outlining the ongoing issues of bullying,
health & safety, or a myriad of other contemporary issues, paints a bleak
picture of the physical and mental harm suffered by our youth.
We know that 10-20% of Canadian youth are affected by mental illness, however “mental health is more than just the absence of mental illness. It’s a state of well-being.” What often gets lost in this discussion are
the capabilities that each young person has that can be developed with the
right support.
Mental Health Week takes place from May 6th
to 12th and will place an emphasis this year on youth mental health. This is an opportunity to reflect on how children and youth bring “existing competencies … [and] resources and are capable of learning new skills and solving problems” to address the challenges in
their life. These natural strengths and
abilities are enhanced and promoted by a number of community organizations,
including programs supported by United Way KW.
Within the
Focus Area “AllThat Kids Can Be”, United Way KW supports a range of programs and services that contribute to the local Collective Outcome of Improved emotional well-being for our
children and youth. The result? Children and youth who are more emotionally
prepared to handle significant life stressors like the challenges associated with
school success, the impact of bullying, or the development of healthy
relationships.
For instance,
in 2012 United Way KW supported programs that benefited over 6500 children and
youth with opportunities to build positive relationships, whether with peers or
adult role models. These key
relationships contribute to the resiliency of our community’s children and
youth so that they are better positioned to become healthy adults.
It takes
caring people and good programs to make a lasting
change in the emotional well-being of
children. During this year’s Mental Health Week, think about how you
can contribute to the healthy development of children and youth, whether with
resources, volunteering, or advocacy efforts.
Change starts here.
