The report is based on , which asked parents to share what they’re most worried about when it comes to their children’s health, safety, and well-being. The leading issues are not isolated worries. Instead, they are the daily realities shared by Ģ����Ƶ families from a variety of backgrounds and types of communities. 

Parents are most worried about education and school quality��

More Ģ����Ƶ parents cited education and school quality as a top concern than any other issue.

Confidence in schools is slipping across all communities, especially among Black and Hispanic families, who are more likely to rate their local schools as “fair” or “poor.” For 35% of Black parents, education quality was the second highest concern behind gun violence. 

Education is also the top issue across geographic locations: 36% of rural parents and 39% of non-rural parents said it was their highest concern, followed by social media and bullying. 

When it comes to schools, safety is just as much top-of-mind for parents as the quality of education. Overall, 60% of parents surveyed feel that schools are less safe than in the past. They overwhelmingly support measures to improve school safety, including mental health awareness and laws promoting safe firearm storage.

Image: Emory Center for Child Health Policy, ““

Mental health concerns are growing

According to the report, as many as 15% of Ģ����Ƶ children have depression, 25% have ADHD, and 31% have anxiety. Some of these children have received an official diagnosis, while others have not—though their parents are concerned about the possibility.

Even more alarming: 63% of kids who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition aren’t yet receiving the care they need.

Ģ����Ƶ parents are trying to respond. Encouragingly, most parents say they feel comfortable talking to their kids about suicide and emotional well-being. 

But access to mental health services remains a major issue. Long waitlists, provider shortages, and geographic barriers keep kids from the help they need—especially in rural areas. These challenges can snowball into higher rates of school dropouts, encounters with the juvenile justice system, substance abuse, and other negative outcomes. 

Social media is fueling anxiety for both parents and kids

Ģ����Ƶ parents are also worried about the impact of digital life on their children’s well-being. Social media ranked among the top three concerns statewide, right alongside bullying and gun violence.

Parents recognize the growing of social media on young people—everything from unrealistic expectations and cyberbullying to struggles with sleep and behavioral regulation. 

The takeaway is clear: families want better tools for managing digital risks—and they need help to set institutional boundaries that protect kids’ mental and emotional health.

The good news is that Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers are recognizing the urgency of this issue. In 2025, Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers passed the (HB 340) to limit cellphone use for K-8 public school students during the school day. Under the bill, phones could be restricted from the start of the school day until the end, ensuring students can fully engage in learning and schools can foster an environment that supports focus and mental well-being. 

Listening to parents is key to moving forward

For policymakers and community leaders, these findings shed light on where Ģ����Ƶ’s families need better solutions and support. Giving families more school choice options, improving school safety and learning environments, and strengthening access to mental health care are all areas where smart policy reforms and community-based efforts can help remove barriers to opportunity, especially for our most vulnerable communities.

The post Three Issues Ģ����Ƶ Parents Are Most Concerned Ģ����Ƶ appeared first on For Opportunity.

Parental love is more than just affection—it’s a powerful force that can shape a child’s life in profound ways. Far beyond the hugs and bedtime stories, the bond between a parent and child lays the groundwork for emotional security, social skills, academic achievements, and even lifelong decision-making.

Think of it as building a foundation for the future. Parents who provide consistent love and support create an environment where children feel safe to grow, learn, and thrive. These positive relationships don’t just affect childhood—they set the stage for success and resilience well into adulthood. 

Parental love enables children to be at their best emotionally, socially, and academically��

But why is this connection so vital? And what does science say about the benefits of parental love? From boosting emotional health to improving academic success, the rewards are more surprising and far-reaching than you might think.

1. Emotional well-being and mental health

A child who feels loved and supported grows up with a strong sense of security and self-worth. This emotional foundation helps children manage stress and develop resilience during difficult times. Research shows that children with strong relationships with their parents are better adjusted emotionally and face fewer mental health challenges, such as anxiety and depression.

2. Behavioral regulation

Parental love plays a crucial role in teaching kids how to interact with the world. Through daily interactions, children learn emotional regulation, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills. These lessons form the building blocks of self-control and appropriate social behavior, helping children grow into responsible adults.

3. Academic success

Children with engaged parents tend to do better in school. By being involved in their children’s education—whether it’s attending parent-teacher conferences, helping with homework, or simply being a source of encouragement—parents can spark a love of learning. The result? Higher grades, better school attendance, and a more motivated, confident student.

4. Prevention of risky behaviors

Strong parent-child relationships act as protective measures against risky behaviors, including substance abuse, delinquency, and teen pregnancy. When children feel connected to their parents, they’re more likely to seek parental guidance when facing tough decisions, reducing the likelihood of engaging in harmful activities.

Through GCO’s Raising Highly Capable Kids Program, communities can offer parents a safe, supportive place to learn how to nurture loving bonds at home.��

Empowering parents to strengthen loving relationships is one of the best priorities a community can have

At the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO), we understand the critical role parents play in raising capable, confident kids. Our Raising Highly Capable Kids (RHCK) program focuses on empowering parents by teaching them the 40 Developmental Assets—a research-driven framework that fosters emotional and social growth in children. These assets cover essential aspects like support, empowerment, and positive identity, serving as the foundation for raising resilient kids.

RHCK has benefited parents like Brittany Moore, who found the workshop life-changing. The program provided her with practical tools, a renewed sense of purpose, and the confidence to handle conflicts.

“Parenting is one of the hardest yet most rewarding jobs, and there’s no shame in seeking support,” Brittany shared. She emphasizes that RHCK is more than just a workshop—it’s a welcoming community of people who understand the ups and downs of raising children. “You’ll walk away with valuable lessons, practical tools, and a renewed sense of confidence,” she said.

Through RHCK, parents receive tools and strategies to build loving, stable homes. Here’s how it works:

• Workshops and classes: Parents participate in structured sessions that offer guidance on fostering healthy relationships and teaching critical life skills.
  
• Hands-on support: Expert facilitators provide personalized support, helping parents identify areas of growth and build stronger connections with their children.
  
• Community-building: RHCK creates a supportive community where parents can collaborate, share experiences, and learn from one another.

Interested in getting involved with RHCK?��

If you’re ready to grow stronger as a parent and learn how intentional, loving relationships can lead to transformational change in your family, we welcome you to join the RHCK program where you’ll find a safe, supportive environment to access the tools, strategies, and community needed to confidently tackle the ups and downs of parenting.

Workshops in Gwinnett

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The post 4 Surprising Benefits of Parental Love That Set Children Up for a Flourishing Life appeared first on For Opportunity.

As summer break approaches for many teens and young adults, most will be looking forward to leisurely activities like a trip to the beach, camping, or even summer camp. Kids at this developmental age indeed need relaxation and rejuvenation over summer breaks, but it is also a valuable opportunity to reap lifelong benefits.

Parents, guardians, or even mentors may want to encourage their teen to get a summer job—not just to earn a little spending money but because work has many other benefits to the health and resiliency of teens.

It’s true that the brains and bodies of kids need some time to relax and rejuvenate after a long school year—and taking a much-needed break in the summer months can be a good thing. There’s also a lot to be said for getting a summer job that teaches the value of work and offers benefits that reap dividends over the course of their lives.

Work is good for young people

Research shows that seasonal and part-time employment for teenagers and young adults has almost universally positive impacts. The truth is that holding down a summer job is something that previous generations commonly experienced—and enjoyed—but kids today have been comparatively shielded from working until much later in life.

In fact, according to the, the summer labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-olds in July 2023 was only 60.2%—slightly down from the previous year’s rate of 60.4%. By comparison, back in July 1989, the rate peaked at 77.5% before trending downward over the next 20-plus years to settle between 60.0% and 60.6% from 2012 to 2018. 

Since then, the rate dropped significantly to 57.3% in 2020 due to the economic dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, though it has since returned to pre-COVID levels at around 60%.

Contrasting by gender, the 2023 gap in summer labor force participation was the smallest on record—at only 0.4%—with only 60.4% of young men working compared to 60.0% for young women. Interestingly—and not surprisingly—the gender gap was its widest at 40.9 percentage points back nearly 75 years ago in July 1950. Also not surprising is that today most summer jobs for teens and young adults are in leisure and hospitality (25%), retail trade (18%), and education and health services (13%). 

Clearly, the current generation of teens and young adults is working less than their predecessors. But what’s the impact on their lives?

They not only miss out on the financial benefits of earning money, but also on learning “soft” skills and attitudes that will positively impact them for the rest of their lives, including time management, respect for supervisors, following instructions, being reliable, demonstrating an upbeat attitude, dressing appropriately, accepting constructive criticism, and even using work-appropriate language.

In July 2023, the summer labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-olds was 60.2%. In July 1989, the rate peaked at 77.5%. The drop means more young people are missing out on the benefits of work.

In July 2023, the summer labor force participation rate for 16- to 24-year-olds was 60.2%. In July 1989, the rate peaked at 77.5%. The drop means more young people are missing out on the benefits of work.

For young people, benefits of work span all areas of a healthy life

Beyond this, the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) team has thoroughly reviewed the literature and found that there are nine benefits for work that help teens and young men and women develop a strong work ethic that lays the foundation for success in every area of life: 

1. Personal finances: When we think of work, we immediately think of a paycheck. That’s the most obvious benefit. Work enables kids to buy both necessities and luxuries, to pay for education, even to start saving for retirement. Attaching to work early is also important for avoiding the trap of the social safety-net system that can unintentionally keep people mired in poverty.

2. Serving others: Earning money in a free market economy shows the ability to create value by serving others and learning self-reliance.

3. Economic impact: The more people work, the more the economy grows. This creates a more prosperous society and leaves those who work personally better off than those who don’t work. Those who don’t work deny society resources that could have made everyone better off—while simultaneously pulling resources away from other important societal needs.

4. Personal well-being: Work confers dignity and respect. It provides a sense of meaning and purpose in life. In contrast, those who don’t work are, overall, less happy and experience higher levels of personal and familial stress, sadness, despair, hopelessness, apathy, and depression.

5. Mental health: Those who work experience improved mental health outcomes and have higher self-esteem, fewer psychosomatic symptoms, less anxiety, and decreased suicide risk.

6. Alcohol and substance abuse: Those who work generally have reduced drug use and improved treatment outcomes. The impact of substance abuse appears to be greater on those who don’t work.

7. Physical health and lifespan: Those who don’t work generally have poorer physical health, including disrupted sleep patterns, higher risk for cardiovascular disease and respiratory infections, and shorter longevity.

8. Family relationships: Working has a particularly positive impact on males when it comes to family formation. Young men who work are much more likely to marry and have a family.

9. Crime: Working typically has a positive effect on teens and young adults by increasing future wages, building human capital, and reducing criminal behavior and recidivism—especially for economic crimes involving property damage, theft, and drugs. 

Taken together, the evidence is strong for teens and young adults to start working on a seasonal or part-time basis. Whether it’s learning to manage a summer job in between camps, family vacation, and other enrichment activities or working during the academic year after school or on the weekends, the benefits of employment go far beyond earning money. 

While it may be fashionable for parents to shelter their children from the working world as long as possible to allow them to enjoy a more carefree and leisurely adolescence, the data—and generational wisdom—show that we do kids more harm than good by unduly delaying their exposure to the workforce.

The post 9 Benefits of Work for Teens and Young Adults appeared first on For Opportunity.

An epidemic of teen depression (and what to do about it)

Key Takeaways:

• In the last 10 years, the number of teens identifying as having “experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness” doubled.
• School connectedness was a key barometer of how well teens fared mentally.
• Teens tend to be more isolated than their peers of past decades, more reliant on social media and smartphones to create a type of “pseudo community.”
• GCO’s priorities is to offer relationship enrichment classes in local communities and schools.

Full Report:

Nothing in life can replace genuine community

The United States has a teen depression problem. And it’s only getting worse.

That assessment is based released in April. It found that 44% of teens “experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” in the most recent 12-month period. What’s more, 20% of teens “had seriously considered attempting suicide” and 9% “had attempted suicide.”

What’s truly eye-opening is when you compare these statistics with the reported mental health status of teens a decade ago. In 2009, for example, just 26% of teens reported having consistent feelings of sadness and despair. That means in roughly the last decade, the rate of teens who feel this way has nearly doubled. Rates of teens attempting suicide (from 14% to 19%) or committing suicide (6% to 9%) also increased during that period.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened the problem, as teens have been more isolated than ever. The CDC survey was of 7,700 teens conducted in the first six months of 2021, when the young people were still mired in the worst of the pandemic school shutdowns and social isolation.

“These data echo a cry for help,” said CDC acting principal deputy director Debra Houry in . “The COVID-19 pandemic has created traumatic stressors that have the potential to further erode students’ mental wellbeing.”

Importantly, the CDC report found that school connectedness was a key barometer of how well teens fared mentally. “Youth who felt connected to adults and peers at school were significantly less likely than those who did not to report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness,” the study concluded.

What’s interesting about this anecdote from the CDC report is the emphasis on community and positive social relationships in maintaining good mental health. Today’s teens tend to be more isolated than their peers of past decades, more reliant on social media and smartphones to create a type of “pseudo community.”

, “Compared with their counterparts in the 2000s, today’s teens are less likely to go out with their friends, get their driver’s license, or play youth sports.”

It goes without saying that the pandemic only worsened these problems. What’s more, our nation’s public discourse has continued to deteriorate and today has never been more toxic, in large part fed by a culture drenched in social media.

The Success Sequence provides an outline of how to reverse the cycle of poverty in our communities. GCO uses this as a framework for much of our work.

Again to quote The Atlantic, “Outwardly, teens are growing up slower; but online, they’re growing up faster. The internet exposes teenagers not only to supportive friendships but also to bullying, threats, despairing conversations about mental health, and a slurry of unsolvable global problems—a carnival of negativity. Social media places in every teen’s pocket a quantified battle royal for scarce popularity that can displace hours of sleep and makes many teens, especially girls, feel worse about their body and life. Amplify these existing trends with a global pandemic and an unprecedented period of social isolation, and suddenly, the remarkable rise of teenage sadness doesn’t feel all that mysterious, does it?”

Solutions to this problem are not easy, but we know from our work at the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) that nothing in life can replace genuine community. That community ranges from a good school to a healthy family life to thriving relationships to meaningful work. Teenagers need this just as much as adults — perhaps even more so as they pass through these key years of development.

One of GCO’s priorities is to offer relationship enrichment classes in local communities and schools. That includes students in middle and high school. Joyce Mayberry, vice president of GCO’s family team, “Teaching young people the dynamics of healthy relationships is so important, now more than ever. We’re seeing the devastating results of a loss of meaningful relationships, but it’s not too late to reverse course. All it takes is a direct investment in sharing the tools and approaches that work with young people.”

The bottom line is this: A key way to combat this epidemic of teen depression and poor mental health is through real community, where teens experience relationships face-to-face with friends, family, and broader society. That’s also one of the best ways to break the social media addiction — substituting real relationships for fake ones in a virtual world. Ultimately, it all loops back to community.

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This year we celebrated our country and one of its biggest values…family.��

For many the Fourth of July is more than just a celebration of our country’s birth—it is an opportunity to gather with family. An opportunity to connect and celebrate together. It feels like this past year, more than most, this was true as we came out of a period of social distancing and separation.��

While many areas of our state refrained from large gatherings, most people returned to having small gatherings of family and friends. Picnics and backyard get-togethers returned and with them came improved social, mental, and relational health for many of our families and neighbors.

As we have discovered over the past 12-14 months, these previously mundane gatherings with family are much more important to our community and personal mental health than we may have realized. We have taken for granted the value and the connections we need to sustain our lives. And we have had a reawakening to the requisite relationships that ground us and support us through hard times.

It is why family is one of the pillars of which models the tangible ways that we can make strides in addressing poverty. It is a recognition of the importance of the role family has in creating stability and support. It is why we must continue to value it and why, I believe, it is directly connected to our national identity.

The Success Sequence provides an outline of how to reverse the cycle of poverty in our communities.��

But celebrating family happens outside of a single holiday (or even a nation). As the summer continues many of us will jubilantly gather and connect. It is as if the past year or so has reset our expectations and even our need to be with those we love.

I have seen many people recently post realizations of how much they missed being together and hugging someone. When it was part of our day-to-day, we just expected it. But since it was deprived from us for so long, we understand the importance of it.

Let us not forget the power of coming together. The strength we gain by being with one another and supporting each other. The power that comes out of family and relationships.

The post A renewed reason to celebrate this Fourth of July appeared first on For Opportunity.

That’s how Tiffany Pearce describes life during the hardest weeks of trying to care for her son, Aidan. Diagnosed with bipolar with mania, on top of an earlier diagnosis of autism and sensory integration disorder, Aidan couldn’t do most things we take for granted—everything from communicating his feelings to using the restroom. 

But tragically, that extended to Aidan trying to hurt himself during his manic episodes. To help, Tiffany would try to hold Aidan to prevent injuries. The results from this strong eight-year-old boy were that Tiffany herself would often get injured.

“He was having episodes three to four times a day lasting anywhere from one hour to three or four,” Tiffany says. “With these episodes, it’s like he didn’t know who he was at the time.”

When the manic episode calmed down and Aidan would recover, he would look at the blood on his mother and ask, “Why don’t you move out and leave. I don’t want to hurt you any more.”

Tiffany took her son to a long list of doctors and specialists for help before he was eventually admitted to the Atlanta-based Peaceford Hospital, a behavioral health treatment facility. But even that didn’t help. Aidan continued to struggle. It was all made worse by the fact that Tiffany could not stay with him at night.

“I’ll never forget the time he looked up at me and said, ‘Mommy, I want to be in heaven.’ You just feel completely helpless as a parent at that moment,” says Tiffany. “To hear an eight-year-old say that is devastating.”

Later on, Tiffany waged a battle with the insurance company to move Aidan from Peachford to a residential facility where they would better be able to serve his needs. At the same time, she had to make a choice about where to send the young man to school.

It was the first time his mother heard, “we want Aidan.”

All students deserve the chance to succeed.

But Tiffany soon discovered that not many schools were willing to support a child like Aidan. The local public schools in Cobb County wanted to put him on an EBD (Emotional and Behavioral Disorder) satellite campus, but Aidan’s doctors and therapists said that would have been detrimental to his behavioral and development issues.

Thankfully, there was another option: CORE Community School, a private school in Atlanta. 

“I’ll never forget them saying, ‘We want him. We want Aidan.’ That was the first time I felt hope in a year, because he deserves to be wanted. All kids should feel that. They deserve that,” Tiffany says.

Today, Aidan is thriving at this private school that prioritizes serving students with unique needs and challenges.

“Being at school is the first time in a year and a half that I see Aidan smile,” Tiffany says. “I didn’t think I would see that again. I wondered if this boy with the biggest heart would ever feel like he was worth anything. And he did here.”

The post Aidan’s Story: How a Private School Saved a Young Man’s Life appeared first on For Opportunity.

To learn more about the Healthy @ Home series and see additional videos click here.��

We are driven by a belief – supported by experience and research- that people from all walks of life are more likely to flourish if they have an intact, healthy family and strong relationships.

To learn more about how the Healthy Families Initiative is active in the community, click here.��

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Laura Cochling of Changing Perceptions Therapy walks us through healthy ways to accept our new normal.��

To learn more about the Healthy @ Home series and see additional videos click here.��

We are driven by a belief – supported by experience and research- that people from all walks of life are more likely to flourish if they have an intact, healthy family and strong relationships.

To learn more about how the Healthy Families Initiative is active in the community, click here.��

The post Acceptance of the New Normal | HEALTHY @ HOME appeared first on For Opportunity.

By Healthy Families Initiative

Our Healthy Families Initiative (HFI) team recently spoke with LPC Rebecca Gibbons via our weekly Healthy @ Home series. She shared with us the five symptoms to look for in children as they battle mental wellness during the unstable time of COVID-19, plus coping mechanisms to help young people struggling through the pandemic.

The 5 symptoms of mental struggle in children and adolescents

1. Increased levels of frustration: “I cannot complete my homework, I do not have the codes, I can’t get a hold of my teacher, I don’t know how to open another window on the internet.”

2. Increased boredom: “I’m frustrated that I can’t hang out with friends, go out to the movies or eat out. I’m tired of playing video games.”

3. Increased helplessness: “Do I still matter?”

4. Increased fear of the unknown: “Will the coronavirus ever go away? Will I get sick? Will my parents get sick?”

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5. Increased levels of instability: “When will this end? When will I get to back to school and play or hang out with my friends?”

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One way to cope: Introducing Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) provides clients with new skills to manage painful emotions and decrease conflict in relationships. DBT specifically focuses on providing therapeutic skills in four key areas:

1. Mindfulness: This focuses on improving a child or teen’s ability to accept and be present in the current moment. Be aware of our thoughts, feelings and senses: just focus on the present moment and the five senses of sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste. For a practical example, “I Spy” is a great game where we use our five senses to keep us in the moment.

2. Distress tolerance: This is geared toward increasing a child or teen’s tolerance of negative emotion, rather than trying to escape from it. Distress tolerance helps us get through tough situations without making things worse. It’s a way to practice how to relax and self-soothe. We can self-soothe by focusing on our five senses: Take deep breaths, observe your surroundings, and proceed mindfully.

3. Emotion regulation: This covers strategies to manage and change intense emotions that are causing problems in a person’s life. Learning emotions to help express how we are feeling so we can control it. Here are five tips:

• Describe the emotions you’re feeling.
• Learn your triggers: What happened to make me feel mad or sad?
• Learn how my body changed: Did I ball up a fist or did my body get hot?
• Recognize how I reacted: Did I yell or say things I didn’t mean
• What can I control: What am I in charge of and what can I change?

4. Interpersonal effectiveness: This consists of techniques that allow a person to communicate with others in a way that is assertive, maintains self-respect, and strengthens relationships. This is our way of getting along with others, helping to build and improve relationships. To improve in this area, help teens and kids with the acronym GIVE:

G = Gentle – nice, respectful, calmly express your feelings, no judging, no attitude.

I = Interested – listen to what others say, show caring, do not interrupt others talking.

V = Validate – pay attention, show understanding through words or actions.

E = Easy manner (similar to gentle) truthful, talk nice, be silly, smile, no attitude.

We are driven by a belief – supported by experience and research- that people from all walks of life are more likely to flourish if they have an intact, healthy family and strong relationships.��

Visit our Healthy Families Initiative

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We are driven by a belief – supported by experience and research- that people from all walks of life are more likely to flourish if they have an intact, healthy family and strong relationships.

To learn more about how the Healthy Families Initiative is active in the community, click here.��

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