• Facebook
• Twitter
• Flipboard
• Comments
• Print
• Email

Chicago mother sounds alarm on 'alienation of parents' as Illinois set to require mental health screenings

Chicago parents Christine McGovern, Cata Truss and Mailee Smith join 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss their take on the new mental health screenings required in Illinois schools and why some are concerned with the new policy. 

A new Illinois law mandating annual mental health screenings for students in the third through 12th grades is drawing concern from parents and policy experts, who say the measure, and the way it could be implemented, raises more questions than it answers.

"What does that [screening] entail?" asked Cata Truss, a Chicago mother, grandmother, and former educator. 

"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."

Though parents will reserve the right to opt their children out of the mental health screenings, the law leaves key details to be determined by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), which has until September 1, 2026, to develop guidance on how screenings will be conducted, how follow-up referrals will work, and how student privacy will be protected.

ILLINOIS' POPULATION IS AGING 'FASTER' THAN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, EDITORIAL WARNS

An Illinois law regarding mental health screenings at school is causing alarm among some parents. (iStock)

Illinois moms, including Truss, voiced their skepticism while appearing on "Fox & Friends First," citing transparency gaps and their own fears of overreach.

"We do need an increase in our mental health [services] for our children," said Christine McGovern, also a former public school teacher.

But McGovern is concerned the measure could open the door for overreach and the "alienation of parents," which she identified as the "biggest issue" she encountered during her tenure in education.

Policy attorney and parent Mailee Smith is concerned that several provisions in the law remain vague, including how parents are supposed to opt their children out of the screenings.

"Are parents going to be told every year they can opt out? Because if they don’t, that’s really not an opt-out process," she said. 

ILLINOIS GOV JB PRITZKER LAMBASTED FOR NEW ‘DISASTROUS POLICY’ REQUIRING MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS FOR KIDS

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks during a press conference at the UI Health Mile Square Health Center on Feb. 28, 2025. Pritzker signed the measure on July 31. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

"Who is going to be collecting and reviewing this information? How will students how will their confidentiality be protected?" she continued. "It seems to pose more risks to freedom than answers to the mental health crisis."

Truss also expressed a desire for "so many things" to be added to the measure that have not yet been "looked at," likely referencing the law’s reliance on future guidance from the ISBE.

"Certainly we want to say to parents, opt out. And if you think that your child may be suffering from some sort of mental episode, get your own screening. Go out and allow your child's doctor to be the catalyst for whether or not you make the decision to deal with that, whether it's mental illness or whether it's trauma."

Fox News Digital previously reached out to Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who signed the measure on July 31, for comment, but did not receive a reply.

The broader national debate over mental health screenings also roused concerns from author Abigail Shrier, who recently shared that her middle school-aged son was given a mental health screening at an urgent care center after he went in, complaining of a stomachache.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

• ·2023年中考英语作文范文
• ·皇马63年仅1次无缘欧冠16强 数据支持赢球晋级
• ·八卦媒体曝料 瓜迪奥拉外遇对象出席太太团合影
• ·福登状态复苏近4轮造7球 这才是英超MVP的实力
• ·2021年北京盛装舞步巡回赛利恒站圆满完赛
• ·国青两连胜平20年纪录 末轮战澳洲或平局收场
• ·官方：西班牙国家队主帅德拉富恩特续约
• ·曼城欲再拿升班马泄愤 数据深开有望客场完胜
• ·2023年中考英语作文范文
• ·阿德巴约：10点半训练我8点半就到 C罗已经在游泳
• ·马德里打响榜首大战!数据:皇马或2
• ·欧冠生死战!数据:曼城主场无惧皇马 或2
• ·中手游与B站再次合作 《仙剑奇侠传一》动画化正式官宣
• ·日职夺冠赔率:神户广岛并列领跑 鹿岛浦和紧追
• ·罗马诺：曼城签约18岁中卫朱马巴赫 转租给朗斯
• ·梅西2025年首球 迈阿密国际晒梅西连续21年进球