Week-long celebration to feature more than 30 free community events across the region
Algoma Family Services (AFS), in collaboration with its community partners, is presenting a series of events in celebration of Children’s Mental Health Week 2025, taking place from May 3 to 10.
The week-long initiative, with National Child and Youth Mental Health Day on May 7, aims to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and provide resources and activities to support the well-being of children and families in our community, AFS said in a release.
“At a time when our country and the world are experiencing such significant turmoil and change, our children and youth are not immune to the impact of information overload,” the organization said.
With the advancement of technology, specifically social media, it is challenging for children and youth to switch this off. This can have detrimental effects if not attended to, in the form of heightened anxiety and depression, AFS said.
AFS said the average age of its clients was 15 to 17 a decade ago while today the average age is 10 to 11.
“With over 28,000 children and youth waiting over a year to get counselling in the province of Ontario, we urge the provincial government to make the financial investments necessary to reduce these wait times,” said Ali Juma, Algoma Family Services CEO.
“No child, specifically Northern children and youth, should have to wait to get the help they need. I am proud of the AFS team for cutting our counselling wait times by 70 per cent over the last 10 years. However, we do need the help of government to bring our waitlists to zero,” Juma added.
Throughout the week, activities such as children’s yoga, storytime sessions, and mindfulness workshops will be held at locations across Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma.
Each event will be hosted by one of the region’s community organizations including AFS, EarlyON, Urban Indigenous EarlyON, SSM Public Library, THRIVE, Nogdawindamin, Chadwick Home, Waves of Change, Child Care Algoma, Wawa Family Health, Sault Ste. Marie Police, Algoma Youth Wellness Hub, Maamwesying, and Strong Minds.
With more than 30 events, each is designed to foster a sense of community, promote mental wellness, and provide families with practical tools to support their children’s mental health. The full list of events can be found on the AFS Facebook page or the AFS website.
Some event highlights include:
Saturday, May 3: Parenting in 2025: Embrace Togetherness
- Time: 5 to 8 p.m.
- Location: Algoma Youth Wellness Hub, 124 Dennis St.
- Host: Algoma Family Services
Monday, May 5: Friendship Bracelets
- Time: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Location: Holy Cross Catholic Elementary, 16 Texas Ave.
- Host: EarlyON
Tuesday, May 6: Kids Vs. Cops
- Time: 3 to 5 p.m.
- Location: Algoma Youth Wellness Hub, 124 Dennis St.
- Host: Algoma Family Services
Wednesday, May 7: Storytime
- Time: 6 to 6:30 p.m.
- Location: Centennial Library, 50 East St.
- Host: SSM Public Library
Thursday, May 8: Drop-In Hands to Heart Reading and Children’s Yoga
- Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (lunch provided)
- Location: 241 Albert St. W.
- Host: Urban Indigenous EarlyON
Friday, May 9: Outdoor Walk at Topsail and Greenhouse Visit
- Time: 9 to 11 a.m. (lunch provided)
- Location: 241 Albert St. W.
- Host: Urban Indigenous EarlyON
Saturday, May 10: Run For Change
- Time: 9 a.m.
- Location: Roberta Bondar Park and Marina
- Host: Strong Minds
“On behalf of the AFS Board, I encourage community members in Algoma to participate in these fun and educational events,” said William Johnson, Algoma Family Services board president.
“In doing so, we can reduce the stigma attached to mental health, and we enhance the wellness of our communities through education on the resources available to help our children and youth. I thank our community partners and our planning committee for organizing our biggest celebration to date.”
As one of Algoma’s leading youth mental health resource providers in the community, AFS said it is excited to be hosting events alongside its partners to provide a better future for our children.