Parents For Choice
We are a diverse, grassroots group of parents from across the Archdiocese of Chicago – with representation at 70 percent of Chicago Archdiocesan schools. We support parental choice for masks and COVID vaccines in school and school-related activities. Children are perhaps the most-masked people in America and the people least needing to be masked. Children’s already-low risk from COVID has become even lower. It’s time to offer mask-choice to ALL students of the Archdiocese.
As parents, we want what is best for our kids. Always.
In the age of COVID-19, we are constantly striving to keep our kids safe, healthy and mentally balanced during an unprecedented time of uncertainty, fear and crisis.
The data has changed significantly since 2020 and we want our schools to incorporate best practices and procedures that address the data in real-time and support the needs of our children TODAY.
We have waited long enough and are no longer willing to gamble on our children’s mental health, with data that no longer supports the reality.
We are ready to move forward.
On October 19, 2021
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) together representing more than 77,000 physician members and more than 200 children’s hospitals, declared a national state of emergency in child and adolescent mental health and called on policymakers to join them.
Our mission is driven by data.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a serious toll on children’s mental health.
Between March and October 2020, the percentage of emergency department visits for children with mental health emergencies rose by 24 percent for children ages 5-11 and 31 percent for children ages 12-17. There was also a more than 50 percent increase in suspected suicide attempt emergency department visits among girls ages 12-17 in early 2021 as compared to the same period in 2019.
Enough is enough.
Parents promoting choice.
We are parents of the Archdiocese of Chicago, committed to a faith-based education for our children. A grassroots group of like-minded parents, that came together to find a better way for our collective voices to be heard.
We support parental choice for our children, as it relates to mask mandates, vaccinations and quarantines for healthy children.
We are stronger together.
Our attempts to meet with and share these concerns with leadership at the Archdiocese of Chicago have been ignored.
Together we are 2000 strong – and growing every day. We represent proactive families from dozens of schools across the Archdiocese.
We will raise our voices until they are heard!
How can you help?
Learn more our plans and stay up-to-date on our progress.
Sign the petition!
Read, sign and share the petition in support of “Parental Choice” for our children for the 2022-23 school year. Read all the details here.
Join our contact list.
We cannot succeed in getting Parental Choice without your help. Many hands make light work! Join our contact list today.