Children in Illinois can now take up to 5 mental health days from school, and this is a policy that should be adopted all over the country. Mental health should be taken just as seriously as physical health, but it is not. If a child is physically ill and needs some time off from school, it is encouraged and celebrated. The child is told that they need to rest and focus on getting better. However, this attitude is not given to children who may be suffering from their mental health. They are made to continue to go to school, and this can create unhealthy adult habits, like not knowing when to take a break.
According to NPR and USA Today, Illinois is now recognizing mental health as a valid excuse to miss school and students can now have 5 days off school to take care of their mental health. This is a policy that should be nationwide, as school can often be a lot of the reason for mental health struggles, in the same way a job is for their parents.
This bill was signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker and it will go into effect in January. It states that students who decide to take a mental health day from school will not be asked to provide a doctor’s note for their absence.
They will also be given opportunities to make up work that they may have missed. The lawmakers said that the pandemic has made them see that this is essential for students, and a lot of them have had mental health issues due to the pandemic. This means that children are developing depression and anxiety and the need for breaks and services is higher now than it ever was before.
Experts across the country have said that they expect the number of children needing help with their mental health is growing, and these children need help. Taking a break when you need one, and recognizing when you have to work on your mental health is a beneficial skill to teach our children. Children who grow up and don’t understand this are not aware of how to care for their mental health, and we can see the same struggle happening when they are in the workplace and feel ashamed and guilty for taking a “mental health” day from their jobs. Illinois wants to teach children how to care for their mental health, and more states and countries should take their example and institute similar policies.