KEARNEY — Kearney Public Schools, in partnership with McKenna’s Rae of Hope Foundation, is proud to announce a groundbreaking initiative aimed at providing vital mental health awareness resources to parents and families.
KPS is introducing an invaluable service through the esteemed Cook Center for Human Connection that promises to empower parents with essential tools to foster their children’s mental well-being. The newly launched program, ParentGuidance.org, offers an array of resources, including e-courses led by licensed therapists and a series of one-hour webinars scheduled throughout the school year.
The Mental Health Series, paid for by McKenna’s Rae of Hope Foundation, is a series of twelve one-hour webinars on Zoom. These informative sessions are designed to provide parents with actionable insights into critical topics such as anxiety, screen time’s impact on children’s mental health, and suicide prevention. The first webinar, titled “Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health,” will take place on September 7 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom.
Todd Schirmer, director of McKenna’s Rae of Hope Foundation, stated that the Foundation is proud to sponsor the twelve webinars that will give parents a valuable opportunity to learn more about mental health topics. The Foundation, along with KPS counselors, meticulously selected the topics for each webinar. “The one-hour zoomed webinars are a great opportunity for parents to learn how to deal with some tough parenting issues in the privacy of their own homes. You can anonymously submit questions during the Zoom,” said Schirmer. “McKenna’s Rae of Hope Foundation is proud to introduce parentguidance.org and the Cook Center to KPS and to sponsor the $18,000 cost of the webinar series so that it will be free to our Kearney community and those in need of mental health guidance. We are committed to bringing awareness to mental health issues and assisting in support to those dealing with mental health issues.”
With over 50 e-courses hosted by licensed therapists, articles, and webinars, ParentGuidance.org is a comprehensive platform designed to support parents in addressing various aspects of mental health, child development, and personal well-being. Another feature of ParentGuidance.org is the comprehensive FAQ library, which serves as a valuable resource hub, offering insights into pressing concerns and facilitating informed decision-making.
“We are excited by the website and the webinars, which ensure that parents have access to expert guidance on an array of pressing topics. From anxiety and suicide ideation to bullying and self-harm, we hope ParentGuidance.org will equip parents with the essential knowledge needed to navigate challenging parenting situations effectively,” said Dan Endorf, KPS Director of Safety and Security. “ We are grateful to McKenna’s Rae of Hope Foundation for sponsoring the addition of the Mental Health series on zoom, where parents are able to access expert advice from licensed therapists.”
Kearney Public Schools encourages all parents to take advantage of this innovative program to enhance their understanding of crucial mental health and parenting matters. “Parenting can be tough. KPS hopes to help those in our community dealing with common parenting issues to get important information from licensed therapists either on the webinars or from the website,” said Endorf. “We hope that parents will seek additional support from our qualified local therapists, counselors, and psychologists if needed.”
For a deeper dive into the program’s offerings and to learn more about McKenna’s Rae of Hope Foundation and Kearney Public Schools’ commitment to supporting parents and families, please visit kearneypublicschools.org/parentguidance, mckennasraeofhope.org, or reach out to Dan Endorf, KPS Director of Student Services & Safety at 698-8005.
