Whereas children in the United States have been documented to have undergone an acute public health crisis of mental and behavioral health for many years, even before the additional challenges of the COVID–19 pandemic; Whereas a 2022 study found as many as 1 in 5 children in the United States have a mental, emotional, or behavioral health condition; Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on survey data from the Youth Risk behavior survey, estimate that, in 2021, more than 4 in 10 (42 percent) high school students felt persistently sad or hopeless, and nearly 1 in 3 (29 percent) experienced poor mental health; Whereas, in 2019, according to the Census Bureau, over 11 percent of children aged 3 to 17 received treatment or counseling from a mental health professional; Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is— (1) the second leading cause of death among individuals aged 10 to 14; (2) the third leading cause of death among individuals aged 15 to 24; and (3) the tenth leading cause of death for individuals aged 5 to 9; Whereas there has been a significant increase in demand for mental health services for children, including a more than 30 percent increase in mental health visits to emergency departments for children aged 12 to 17 from 2019 to April 2020; Whereas barriers exist to access to mental health delivery systems, particularly impacting children and adults who have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences; and Whereas the stigma surrounding mental and behavioral health persists, and acknowledging this public health crisis and creating awareness as early as possible is as important as ever: Now, therefore, be it