A Child's Light

Like every county across the United States, Chester County is experiencing unprecedented challenges in providing mental health services for the children who need them most. Post Covid-19 we have seen these struggles magnified with a spike in emergency room visits for children experiencing a mental health crisis. There is a tremendous need in our society for early support, which is expected to increase at an unprecedented level. Mental Health America (https://www.mhanational.org/) reports in its youth data from 2022 that 12.88% of Pennsylvania youth report suffering from at least one major depressive episode.

A Child's Light is a Chester County-based nonprofit also serving surrounding counties that provides expedited access to trauma -informed mental health treatment for children ages 2-28 recovering from severe abuse and trauma. Program participants receive private mental health support from a therapist in the organization's network at no cost for an average of 9-12 months. All participating households are low and very low-income and/or ALICE Households. In crises, the sooner a child can begin treatment the better the long term outcome. By negotiating a fee based on sliding scale with a network of local therapists and by funding the payment of 3 months/12 sessions upfront, ACL can ensure that each client will have a strong, supported, professional, and high quality mental wellness experience. ACL also prioritizes geographic location to ensure that families have a resource that is accessible to them.