This year’s Children’s Mental Health Awareness/Acceptance Tailgate Kick Off event is organized by parents as a token of our appreciation and to thanks Children’s Behavioral Health Providers and the Office of Child and Family Services for all the hard work you do on behalf of families and youth in Maine. Providers and families please do join us for coffee and refreshments, parents will share their child’s/youth success stories, and receive green ribbons and children’s mental health awareness/acceptance informational resource materials. (no rain date will be held)

Last year, the National Federation of Families took an important step to advance social justice for families: launching the first national Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week. As an organization focused on families with children who experience mental health and/or substance use across the lifespan, we believe acceptance more directly combats discrimination, prejudice, and subconscious bias. Awareness isn’t enough – but Acceptance demands we advocate and act to change attitudes, behaviors, and systems. Acceptance is social justice. ​

That’s why our 2023 campaign theme for this year is “Accept. Advocate. Act.” We want our children across the lifespan accepted – and that means systemic change in how children’s mental health is viewed. This year, Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week returns for the second year May 7th – 13th, 2023. Join us to Accept, Advocate, and Act for children’s mental health.