[Toronto, ON] — This Children’s Mental Health Week (CMHW), Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) is proud to join its members in recognizing the critical role that connection plays in shaping the mental health and well-being of children and youth across Ontario.

Taking place from May 4 to 10, this year’s campaign for Children’s Mental Health Week (CMHW) aligns with the theme for Mental Health Week, “Come Together,” and calls on all of us to strengthen connection to ourselves, to one another. This year’s theme also highlights the critical role community-based child and youth mental health services play as a beacon of connection for infants, children, youth and their families across Ontario.

Why This Matters: Connection Is a Cornerstone of Mental Health

For children and youth, connection is one of the strongest predictors of well-being across the life course. Research shows that young people who feel connected to their families, schools, and communities experience better mental health outcomes and carry those benefits into adulthood. In fact, adolescents who feel connected to home or school are up to 66% less likely to engage in health-risk behaviours and experience better mental health later in life.[1]

Yet too many young people in Ontario are struggling to access and sustain these meaningful connections:

• Canadian youth report fewer positive social relationships than older age groups, despite experiencing higher levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. [2]
• A lack of positive social relationships is associated with higher rates of anxiety and depression, lower resilience, and increased risk of suicidal ideation. [3]
• At the same time, young people who report strong, positive relationships show significantly lower levels of distress and stronger ability to manage their mental health. [4][5]

These facts are not just correlations. They point to something deeper: connection acts as a protective factor and one that can shape outcomes across a young person’s life.

Community-Based Care Is a Foundation for Connection

Connection does not happen in isolation. It is built and sustained through relationships, environments, and systems that support young people where they are.

Community-based child and youth mental health services play a critical role in fostering that connection. Whether through family support, peer engagement, culturally responsive care, or partnerships across schools and communities, these services create the conditions for belonging, helping young people feel seen, supported, and understood.

But when access to these supports is limited, connection breaks down and so does mental health.

“Connection is one of the most powerful tools we have to support and protect children and youth mental health,” said Cindy Prins, Interim CEO, CMHO. “When young people feel connected—to themselves, to others, and to their communities—they are more resilient, more supported, and better able to thrive. We need to ensure every child and youth in Ontario has access to the relationships and services that make that possible.”

A Call to Come Together

Children’s Mental Health Week is an opportunity to reflect on the role we all play in building connection and supporting the well-being of young people. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate the role that community-based child and youth mental health services play in laying the foundation for connection to happen.

Whether it’s reaching out, strengthening relationships, supporting local services, or advocating for a more connected and responsive mental health system, everyone has a role to play.

Together, we can build a future where every child and youth in Ontario feels a true sense of belonging and has access to the supports they need to thrive.

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