COLUMBUS, Ohio (May 1, 2025) –As the country continues to face a children’s mental health crisis, it’s important to think about prevention and promoting mental wellness in children, instead of waiting until there is a concern or crisis, behavioral health experts say. However, new data from a national survey of parents, teachers and coaches commissioned by The Kids Mental Health Foundation shows a significant gap in knowledge about how to build those skills.
The survey of nearly 1,500 parents, teachers and coaches — conducted by Ipsos on behalf of The Kids Mental Health Foundation, founded by the behavioral health professionals at Nationwide Children’s Hospital — finds the following information:
- Only 35% of parents surveyed strongly agree that they know the daily habits kids need to boost mental wellness, yet 97% of parents believe it is important to have access to kids’ mental health resources.
- 41% of teachers surveyed strongly agree that they know the daily habits kids need to boost mental wellness, yet 96% of teachers agree that having access to mental health resources is important.
- 47% of coaches surveyed strongly agree that they know the daily habits kids need to boost mental wellness, yet 98% of coaches say having access to mental health resources is important.
“Adults want to proactively support the mental wellness of children, but they do not know how,” said Ariana Hoet, PhD, executive clinical director of The Kids Mental Health Foundation and a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “That is where we come in. Our resources are addressing this knowledge gap. We know that kids’ mental health starts with us — the adults in kids’ lives. Our free resources can help empower parents, teachers and coaches with the tools to promote mental wellness in all children. Together, we have the opportunity to make a difference.”
The Kids Mental Health Foundation is launching a new Corporate Collective to unite companies nationally to bridge the knowledge gap and empower adults to guide kids and help them build resilient minds, before a crisis or concern. The Corporate Collective is committed to the vision of The Kids Mental Health Foundation to create a future where mental health is just as important as physical health.
“The goal of the Corporate Collective is to address the knowledge gap — the disparity between adults who recognize the importance of supporting kids’ mental health and those who know the daily habits kids need to boost mental wellness,” said Steve Testa, chief development officer of The Kids Mental Health Foundation. “We are grateful for the support we have received from our founding members of the Corporate Collective, and we invite others to join in our mission of making mental health a vital part of every child’s upbringing.”
The founding members of the Corporate Collective include the following organizations: Nationwide, Bread Financial, Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Mattel’s Monster High, Macy’s, Safelite, HOMAGE, Bend Active, GoNoodle and more. Founding members have committed to expanding access to kids’ mental health resources across the U.S. through financial investment and national support, and being a corporate leader for children’s mental health.
For more information about becoming a member of the Corporate Collective, please visit KidsMentalHealthFoundation.org/collective or email Amanda Dove at [email protected].
For more educational resources about kids’ mental health, please visit KidsMentalHealthFoundation.org.
Survey Methodology
A survey of 1,652 parents, teachers, and coaches/leaders was conducted between February 10-17, 2025. The sample included 1,200 adults aged 18+ who have at least one child aged 0-17 years (parents), 223 adults who teach pre-K through 12th grade (teachers), and 229 adults who manage, lead or coach any extracurricular activities for youth under the age of 18 (coaches/leaders). All respondents reside in the U.S. and were interviewed online in English. The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 5 percentage points for parents, plus or minus 9.4 percentage points for teachers, and plus or minus 9.4 percentage points for coaches/leaders.
The Kids Mental Health Foundation is the leading organization promoting mental health for children in the United States. To achieve its vision to build a world where mental health is a vital part of every child’s upbringing, nearly 1,000 mental health professionals and researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, in partnership with other trusted experts, provide real-world
knowledge and expertise to power the Foundation's free educational videos, guides and curriculum. To date, more than 24 million people have engaged with the Foundation’s materials, helping parents, educators and coaches be a guiding force for children all across the United States. During Mental Health Awareness Month in May, The Kids Mental Health Foundation is shining a spotlight on how “Kids Mental Health Starts with Us” and ways its free tools and resources can help empower parents, teachers and coaches across the United States.