Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra Announce Joint Effort to Develop and Share Resources to Ensure
Categories: US Education News
U.S. Education Department (ED) Secretary Miguel A. Cardona and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra today reaffirmed their commitment to children and youth by launching a joint-department effort to expand school-based health services, ensuring children have the health services and supports necessary to build resilience and thrive.
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the health and wellbeing of the Nation's children and youth further exacerbated preexisting inequities. Throughout the country, childcare centers, schools, after-school programs, and recreational activities closed, disconnecting nearly 60 million children and youth from essential resources and supports. Many families faced job loss, economic hardship, and food insecurity, profoundly affecting child health and wellbeing.
"Our nation's children have been especially influenced by the Coronavirus pandemic, remembering huge effects for their emotional well-being," the Secretary Miguel A. Cardona and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra said. "Youth reports of mental pain have multiplied since the pandemic started, with 25% announcing burdensome side effects and 20 percent revealing tension side effects.
Kids and youth with scholarly or formative handicaps and those with earlier youth injury are at specific gamble for pandemic-related psychological well-being difficulties, similar to the people who have confronted past segregation in the medical care framework, including youngsters and youth of variety, settler youngsters, youngsters with incapacities, and the people who are LGBTQ+."
"While the pandemic's drawn out influences on kids and youth are not completely perceived, cooperating to assemble flexibility in youngsters, youth, and families can advance value and backing recuperation endeavors," the Secretary Miguel A. Cardona and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra proceeded. "We will elevate opportunities under the American Rescue Plan funding along with existing federal resources to build a lasting and sustainable health care infrastructure for our children and youth.
We welcome and encourage your engagement, questions, and partnership on any of the resources we have published. Our joint effort will build on progress made, as both Departments work together to make accessible, quality health services in schools a reality for all children and youth."