The kids are not alright.
Medical experts agree that, after nearly three years of pandemic-induced strain, children are in the midst of a mental health crisis.
One signal of just how severe a crisis: The U.S. Department of Education is ready to give schools $280 million through two grant programs to help young people access mental health care. It’s the first wave of a total $1 billion—funded through the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act—that the department will spend on youth mental health programs over the next five years.