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EnglishWhat Parent and Caregiver Resources Does CMHO Provide?
Updated
Children's Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) offers parents and caregivers several dedicated resource hubs, including the Family Care Centre, the Parent Survival Guide, school mental health resources, and a "Find Help" tool that connects families to publicly funded child and youth mental health centres across Ontario. These resources are designed for parents or caregivers worried about a child, as well as young people seeking help themselves. CMHO states that its network has 4,000 professionals providing free counselling and treatment in person, by phone, and virtually.
Who CMHO is and who these resources are for
CMHO represents Ontario's publicly funded Child and Youth Mental Health Centres. It advocates for investments, policies, and programs for children, youth, and families seeking mental health services in Ontario, with the goal of promoting a coordinated, high-quality system of care.
The parent-facing resources are aimed at:
- Parents and caregivers who are worried about a child's mental health
- Young people looking for help on their own
- Families waiting for or currently receiving services
CMHO's site states plainly: "No problem is too big or small."
Main parent and caregiver resource entry points
| Resource | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Family Care Centre | A hub of support materials for parents and caregivers |
| Parent Survival Guide | Practical guidance for parents navigating their child's mental health needs |
| School Mental Health Resources | Information related to mental health in school settings |
| Find Help tool | Locates a child and youth mental health centre in your area |
The site groups these under a "Resources to Help Parents" section, alongside additional categories for teachers, professionals, and youth.
How to find services through CMHO
- Go to cmho.org and look for the "Find Help" option.
- Use it to locate a child and youth mental health centre in your area.
- Contact that centre directly — CMHO notes its network provides care in person, on the phone, and virtually.
The expected result is a connection to a publicly funded centre in Ontario's child and youth mental health system, rather than a private provider.
The context behind these resources: wait times
CMHO's "Kids Can't Wait" campaign highlights a significant access problem. According to the site:
- 28,000 Ontario children and youth are waiting for mental health services.
- For some families, the wait is up to two and a half years.
- The longest wait for service can reach 919 days.
This context matters for parents using CMHO's resources: the Family Care Centre and Parent Survival Guide are partly intended to help families cope and find guidance during waiting periods, not only after service begins.
Other resources on the site
Beyond parent-focused materials, CMHO publishes:
- Feature reports on wait times and other issues affecting kids' mental health in Ontario
- Advocacy reports identifying challenges and solutions to policy issues
- Facts & Figures, a regularly updated collection of statistics on child and youth mental health in Ontario
- Latest updates, including organizational news and statements
What CMHO does not appear to offer
Based on the site content, CMHO is an association and advocacy organization, not a direct service provider. It does not appear to offer crisis counselling directly through the website — instead, it directs families to its network of centres. The site does not list pricing for services; it describes the network as publicly funded and refers to "free counselling and treatment," but individual centres may have their own intake processes.