A new Illinois law mandating mental health screenings for school children is worrying parents and policy experts.
Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) signed a bill on July 31 mandating mental health screenings for children and teenagers from third to 12th grade. The legislation will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
Parents will have the right to opt their children out of the screenings, which the state’s board of education is reviewing how to implement. However, questions remain about the law.
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“What does that [screening] entail?” Cata Truss, a Chicago mother, grandmother, and former educator, told Fox News.
“A child dealing with trauma may show the same signs as one with mental illness, but you don’t want to treat or medicate them the same,” she said, adding
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