U.S. Representatives Young Kim of California and Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey have introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate September as National Children’s Emotional Wellness Month. The resolution seeks to raise awareness about the mental and emotional health challenges faced by children in the United States.
According to the lawmakers, one in five children in the country deals with emotional, mental, or behavioral disorders, but only 20 percent receive specialized care. The resolution is intended to draw attention to these issues and promote better access to mental health services for young people.
“Children today have experienced unprecedented academic disruption, social isolation, and the loss of caregivers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, many kids have access to a smartphone before they even enter middle school,” said Rep. Young Kim. “Together, these challenges put children at greater risk of anxiety, depression, and stress. As we face these realities, we must ensure every child has access to the care and support they need. I’m proud to work alongside Reps. Watson Coleman and Correa to raise awareness of this issue and start building a better path forward for our youth.”
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman also addressed the importance of recognizing children’s mental health: “Across the country, there is a crisis of despair afflicting too many of our young people. We have an obligation to ensure young people in this country have the opportunity to live happy, fulfilling lives,” she said. “Recognition of the mental health crisis in America is bipartisan. Democrats and Republicans are talking about mental health in ways that we simply did not see five to ten years ago. I’m grateful to Rep. Kim for her partnership in advancing awareness and potential solutions to this crisis.”
Rep. Lou Correa highlighted concerns specific to Orange County: “From increasing cases of anxiety to growing rates of depression, far too many Orange County children face mental health challenges,” he said. “This resolution sheds light on this issue and pushes us all to work together and help our kids.”
Young Kim has served as a member of Congress representing California’s 40th district since 2021 after succeeding Gil Cisneros (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Kim). Before her tenure in Congress, she served in the California State Assembly from 2014 through 2016 (https://www.kim.house.gov/about/). Born in Incheon, South Korea in 1962, Kim currently resides in La Habra (https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/K000395). She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Southern California in 1985.
