D41 Kids Foundation donates $15,000 to continue parental coaching and other mental-health supports

The D41 Kids Foundation presented a $15,000 check to Glen Ellyn School District 41 on Dec. 16 to keep parental coaching and related mental-health resources available to district families.

The gift will cover the annual cost of parental coaching, a service the district offered after receiving a federal mental-health grant that ran from fall 2023 until this fall, when the grant funds expired. "Today the members of the foundation...are excited and honored to donate $15,000 for the district to continue providing these mental-health resources for our students and families," said Amy Becker, identified in the meeting as a director of the D41 Kids Foundation.

Lynn Bruno, speaking for the foundation, said the group and district staff worked together to identify which services to sustain once the federal funding ended. Superintendent Jeff McHugh and other board members thanked the foundation for what McHugh called a partnership and for supporting the district's effort to "support the whole child." McHugh said the gift will help the district continue parental coaching and the mental-health resources that families found valuable.

Becker described how the coach provided a "fresh perspective" for a family helped by the program and cited research linking robust school mental-health supports to improved attendance and academic outcomes. The foundation members and district leaders emphasized that the donation is intended to be used for the parental-coaching component specifically; details on any additional programs funded by the gift were not specified in the meeting.

The foundation's presentation followed recognitions for student musical achievements and preceded board business and votes later in the meeting.