CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH
Advocating for all children to develop skills to manage anxiety, conflict, and other challenges and children with intensive mental health needs to get the support they need.
We envision a Texas in which:
All children develop skills to manage anxiety, conflict, and other challenges.
Students have the mental health support they need so they can focus on learning at school.
Parents from every community can find effective, trauma-informed support for their children with more intensive mental health needs.
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Ijah’s story highlights the importance of supporting student mental health.
Children’s Mental Health FAQs
How many Texas children have significant mental health challenges?
In 2022, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimated that of the 3.8 million children in Texas between the ages of 9 and 17, up to 500,000 had a serious emotional disturbance (SED) causing moderate symptoms and/or functional impairment.
How can Texas improve support for children’s mental health?
The right mix of solutions will look different for each child. It might include more exercise, limits on screen time, stable housing, behavioral health services, or other changes. For some children — particularly those with more complex challenges — mental health services are an essential ingredient for addressing their challenges. The Legislature should ensure that children who need key services — such as Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP), and services through the YES Waiver — are able to access them.
What bills or funding did the Texas Legislature pass during the last legislative session to support children with significant mental health challenges?
In 2025, legislators provided funding for new mobile youth crisis outreach teams, improved access to Multisystemic Therapy, and expanded the workforce through the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium, among other steps. However, the Legislature did not do enough to scale up crisis services, strengthen the mental health workforce in rural communities, and improve access to YES Waiver services. Learn more.
Our work on Children’s Mental Health is led by Kate Murphy and Muna Javaid. For more information, please contact them at kmurphy@txchildren.org and mjavaid@txchildren.org.
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