HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) in partnership with the Cook Center for Human Connection, a national non-profit family foundation, announced today that it will be providing families and staff statewide with access to ParentGuidance.org, a 24/7 online platform that offers parents and staff with resources and support for student mental health.

ParentGuidance.org works with schools and their communities nationwide, empowering families to help children thrive through its mental health resources. Hawaiʻi parents and school staff will have free access to resources including:

• Regular one-on-one parent coaching for parents, families and school staff
• Access to over 30 mental health series virtual seminars
• Online lessons led by licensed therapists
• "Ask a Therapist," a frequently updated question and answer forum

"As part of our ongoing commitment to the well-being of our students, we are excited to introduce this new resource designed specifically to support families in addressing student mental health," Annie Kalama, Assistant Superintendent of the HIDOE Office of Student Support Services said. "Parents play a cruical role in their child's overall mental health and this resource will help to provide them with the tools, information and support they need to foster positive mental and emotional growth for their child."

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, child and adolescent healthcare professionals are treating youth with soaring rates of depression, anxiety, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality, creating the potential for lasting impacts on themselves, their families, and their communities.

"We are proud to collaborate with the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education for the benefit of their families and school staff. This shows that they truly care about the role of parents in their children's emotional well-being," said Anne Brown, president and CEO of Cook Center for Human Connection. "By providing education, resources, and direct support to families, we look forward to helping the people who love and care for their children most: the parents."

HIDOE joins 360 other school districts that have partnered with the Cook Center, bringing this access to mental health services to more than 3.3 million families across 46 states.

For more information on this new resource, please visit https://parentguidance.org/.