Grants Allocated to School Districts for Enhancing Students’ Mental Well-being

Multiple school districts in Connecticut have been awarded grants to improve the mental health of students. One of these districts, Andover, held a meeting at their Elementary School on Monday morning to address the challenges surrounding children’s mental health. The meeting was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and aimed to discuss the issues students face, particularly those relating to mental health. This funding, which amounted to $825,000, came from the American Rescue Plan and will be invested in children’s mental health over the course of the next three years. The Connecticut Department of Education distributed these grants to numerous districts, providing them with the opportunity to hire additional mental health specialists. These specialists are intended to serve as valuable resources for schools, assisting students in managing anxiety and depression. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a staggering 42 percent of students nationwide felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021. Therefore, it is crucial that these new funds are utilized to address the mental health needs of local students.