Thursday, May 9 is National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day! The theme for 2013 is young adults who have had mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders and opportunities for early identification.

The Office of Head Start (OHS) is dedicated to ensuring high quality services to both children and families. Supporting mental health and wellness across Head Start and Early Head Start programs is important to that goal. As the mental well-being of parents and families is strengthened, the outcomes for their young children will improve.

The Awareness Day National Event will take place on Tuesday, May 7, from 7:30-9:00 p.m. Interested participants from the Washington, DC area and beyond are invited to attend. It will be held at:

National Building Museum
401 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001

More events and activities will continue locally in communities throughout the country as part of Children's Mental Health Awareness Week.

OHS is just one of many federal and national organizations working with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to celebrate this event. In an effort to shed light on such an important topic, OHS and SAMHSA hope that your program will again participate in these activities. Please begin thinking about and planning activities to get your staff, families, and community involved. What preventive measures can you include in your daily interactions with the children and families you serve that will offset adverse outcomes?

For questions or to share information about your local Awareness Day activities, contact:

David A. Jones, LMSW
Home Visiting Specialist
Office of Head Start
David.Jones@acf.hhs.gov
202-205-4011