Early childhood care and education programs struggled to recruit, retain staff and meet labor costs before the COVID-19 pandemic. Then the worldwide shutdown made matters worse, as parents turned their homes into conference rooms, classrooms and day care centers.
A simmering mental health crisis for U.S. schoolchildren
Donna St. George and Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post
Jan. 21, 2021
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John Nwosu, a school counselor outside Atlanta, says counselors need to be more intentional and active in their work.Photo courtesy of Chanelle Joseph-Nwosu
More than 10 months into the pandemic, mental health is a simmering crisis for many of the nation s schoolchildren, partly hidden by isolation but increasingly evident in the distress of parents, the worries of counselors and an early body of research.
Holed up at home, students dwell in the glare of computer screens, missing friends and teachers. Some are failing classes. Some are depressed. Some are part of families reeling with lost jobs, gaps in child care or bills that can t be paid.