Even before COVID-19, one in five kids in Canada met the diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder. Since school closings, lockdowns, job loss, and of course the illness and death caused by the pandemic, children’s mental health has gotten even worse.

Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt is co-author of a report from the Royal Society of Canada that explains what we know about the effects of school closings on children during the pandemic. She is a professor and Canada Research Chair in Children’s Mental Health and Violence Prevention at the University of Ottawa.

She’ll explain how the government could help children struggling with their mental health in the wake of the pandemic, and how parents can support their children’s mental health.