Monthly Vitals: Your Advocacy Update

Prioritize kids’ mental health this Suicide Prevention Month

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people 10-14 years old and third leading cause of death for those between 15-24. In 2024, suicide self-injury made up 34% of visits to children’s hospitals’ emergency rooms, according to Children’s Hospital Association’s Pediatric Health Information System®.

It is critical for lawmakers to prioritize policies that support resources for children’s mental health. Congress can take a first step to address this by passing H.R. 1735/S.779 the EARLY Minds Act.

Introduced by Reps. August Pfluger (R-TX), Kim Schrier (D-WA), John Joyce (R-PA), and Kathy Castor (D-FL), along with U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), this critical piece of legislation improves the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant by enabling support for the services kids need most.

Please view CHA's mental health fact sheet to learn more about the crisis and ways to prioritize the unique needs of children and adolescents. For questions, please contact Heidi Baskfield.

If you or anyone you know are having thoughts of suicide or are in crisis, please call or text 988 for help and visit 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for more resources.

CHA raises awareness around youth mental health challenges

Senate mental health caucus briefing on the pediatric continuum of care

On Sept. 16, Children's Hospital Association (CHA) organized a congressional briefing with the Bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus and the Child Adolescent Mental Health Coalition. The briefing provided attendees with an overview of the full continuum of pediatric mental and behavioral health services, from mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention services, through a wide array of treatment methods and modalities to meet the needs of children and their families.

Dr. Heather Huszti, Chief Psychologist at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, joined the panel to describe the realities of the mental health care continuum, intensive outpatient treatment, and what families can expect from inpatient psychiatric care.

Children’s hospitals on the Hill

This month, leaders from 72 member hospitals joined CHA in Washington, D.C. to meet with Congress to ask for their continued support and to prioritize pediatric health by funding the programs that keep kids healthy and support the hospitals that care for them. They advocated for Congress to:

• Stop Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts
• Ensure critical pediatric programs are funded in FY26 Appropriations
  • Fully fund the Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME program)
  • Safeguard NIH
  • Robustly fund the Pediatric Specialty Repayment program and Title VII and VIII programs
  • Maintain initiatives like the Emergency Medical Services for Children and pediatric disaster care programs
• Pass H.R. 1509/S. 752 the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act

Thank you for passing the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act

This bill reauthorizes and revises critical Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs that address substance use disorders, overdoses, and mental health. The bill passed the Senate this month and is headed to the President’s desk.

September Briefings

16th Annual Childhood Cancer Caucus Summit

Childhood Cancer Caucus co-chairs Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Mike Kelly (R-PA), and Ami Bera (D-CA) hosted the 16th Annual Childhood Cancer Caucus Summit this month, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to children with cancer and the biomedical research that brings hope to families nationwide.

Dr. Will Parsons, pediatric oncologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, joined the summit and urged lawmakers, clinicians, advocates, and families to unite in the fight against childhood cancer and advance treatment options for kids.

The event also highlighted the Give Kids a Chance Act, and its recent passage out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. This bill aims to accelerate pediatric drug development by bolstering research efforts and ensuring children receive the life-saving therapies they need.

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Annual Legislative Conference Panel

On Sept. 24, CHA hosted a panel discussion at the CBCF ALC on ensuring equitable access to potentially curative therapies for children with sickle cell disease.

Though a cure for sickle cell disease (SCD) is here, it may still be out of reach for many children and adolescents. Breakthrough cell and gene therapies offer new hope, but also bring new hurdles: complex insurance systems, high costs, a shortage of specialists, limited access to clinical trials, and the need for patients to travel far from home for care.

The panel featured speakers from CHA, St. Jude, Children’s National, and a patient advocate from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and discussed how children’s hospitals are leading the way in delivering these therapies and driving research forward — while also advocating for the federal investments and policy changes needed to ensure equitable access. 

Past Advocacy Updates