Yet, in any given year, it is estimated that fewer than 1 in 5 of these children receives needed treatment. The long-term consequences of untreated childhood disorders are costly, in both human and fiscal terms. The burden of suffering by children with mental health needs and their families has created a health crisis in this country. Growing numbers of children are suffering needlessly because their emotional, behavioral, and developmental needs are not being met by the very institutions and systems that were created to take care of them. The National Action Agenda identifies eight goals and multiple action steps, which include promoting public awareness of children's mental health issues, reducing the stigma associated with mental illness, and improving the assessment and recognition of mental health needs in children.
Some communities offer no child mental health services at all.
In one study, some children with emotional disorders didn't get proper school services until age 10. Just as for adults, insurance coverage for children's mental health is spotty. Advocates told of parents who relinquished custody so their children could receive welfare-funded therapy. One juvenile detention center study found that more than two-thirds of detainees had a psychiatric disorder. Yet the juvenile justice system seldom screens children for treatable illnesses.