Parents want Mass. schools to join growing number of states to offer students mental health days

Massachusetts-As Covid-19 cases continue to rise, we’re reminded that this pandemic still affects us all and children are no exception.

In 2020, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, eight in ten students struggled with focusing in school or work and avoiding distractions.

Maine and Connecticut among those now providing students with mental health days.

Our state isn’t offering mental health days for students yet, but it did receive a huge grant toward the cause.

The Ruderman Family Foundation-an organization that works to end the stigma associated with mental health awarded a $500,000 grant for mental health support for high school students throughout the state.

For the second school year in a row, students return to class with Covid-19 as part of their routine, but not every kid has coped well. According to the CDC, emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts increased during the pandemic. Some parents we talked to say children’s mental health has to be taken seriously.

“I think mental health is critical. It seems to be a crisis for many, many people so if parents or administrators in school or teachers in school suspect students need intervention for mental health they absolutely should have the time off without any penalty,” says Tim Cunningham, a parent of college students.

Twelve states provide mental health days for students including Maine and Connecticut. No word yet if that will be implemented in Massachusetts too, but one local mom thinks it could be beneficial for struggling students.

“I think children should be able to have some time off if they think they need some time off for whatever might be troubling the child whether it is trauma or something going on in the home or something like that and they do need a mental health break,” says Beth Techiera, a parent with kids in school.

“I think it is huge. If they go to school with so much anxiety and they can’t even think straight or listen to the teacher so if they just stay home and get a reboot I think it would be great for them,” says Janet, a parent of college kids.

We reached out to some school districts in our area to find out if mental health days could possibly be implemented in our schools, but was unable to get that information before deadline.

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