National Child and Youth Mental Health Day began almost 20 years ago and was created by FamilySmart. We felt it was important to create a day to help us pause and focus on child and youth mental health in the bigger context of Mental Health Week in Canada. Our message back then and now is that we wanted young people to know that the caring adults in their lives care about them! This is hugely significant because 70% of persons living with a mental illness see their symptoms begin before the age 18¹.