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Children's Behavioral Health Priorities Survey

Caring for a child with mental or behavioral health needs often means navigating many different services, systems, and decisions. Maryland Coalition of Families (MCF) works alongside families and youth to make those systems easier to navigate and more responsive to their needs.

By sharing your experience, you will help us understand what is working, where families are facing the greatest challenges, and what changes would make the most meaningful difference. Your feedback will help shape MCF’s advocacy priorities for the 2027 Maryland General Assembly and our broader work to strengthen supports for children, youth, and families across Maryland.

The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. We recognize the time and thought it takes to share these experiences and appreciate your participation.

Your responses will be reported in aggregate and will not be attributed to you individually.
Please Tell Us About You and Your Family
1.What jurisdiction do you live in?(Required.)
2.Race(Required.)
3.Ethnicity(Required.)
4.Do you have a child with mental or behavioral health challenges (for example, autism, anxiety, depression, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)?(Required.)
5.How many of your children experience mental or behavioral health challenges?
6.How old is your child(ren) with mental or behavioral health challenges? (Check all that apply if you have more than one child with mental or behavioral health challenges)(Required.)
7.Which areas are challenging for your child? (Check all that apply)(Required.)
Access & Affordability
Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each of the following statements.
8.When my child needs mental or behavioral health support, I know where to go to find the services available to us.(Required.)
9.Long wait lists for diagnostic testing and/or services are preventing my child from getting the mental and behavioral health services they need.(Required.)
10.My child’s health insurance benefits don’t pay for all my child’s mental and behavioral health services.(Required.)
11.Costs for my child’s mental and behavioral health services are a financial burden for our family (i.e., copays, lack of insurance coverage, assistive equipment, out-of-network services, etc).(Required.)
12.I cannot find a mental and behavioral health services provider who meets my family's cultural or language needs.
School
Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each of the following statements.
13.My child’s mental and behavioral health needs are not being met at school.(Required.)
14.School personnel regularly communicate with me about my child’s needs and challenges.(Required.)
15.School personnel implement my child’s IEP strategies or 504 accommodations as designed.(Required.)
16.I am concerned with the school system’s use of emergency petitions to address my child’s mental and behavioral health needs.(Required.)
17.I am concerned that my child’s special education services will be negatively impacted by Federal or State legislative actions.(Required.)
Home & Work
Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each of the following statements.
18.My child’s mental and behavioral health challenges affect our entire family.(Required.)
19.My child’s behaviors and/or symptoms impact our home environment.(Required.)
20.My employment (or my partner’s employment) is negatively impacted by the need to tend to my child’s mental and behavioral health challenges (attending school meetings, provider appointments, etc.).(Required.)
Community
Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each of the following statements.
21.The mental and behavioral health services or level of care my child needs do not exist in my community.(Required.)
22.Medical professionals treating my child (pediatrician, psychiatrist, therapist) listen to my concerns about my child's mental and behavioral health.(Required.)
23.Better early childhood screening tools would have been helpful in getting my child the mental and behavioral health services they need.(Required.)
Technology
Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each of the following statements.
24.I am concerned that social media is negatively impacting my child’s mental and behavioral health.(Required.)
25.I am concerned that my child’s online gaming behaviors are impacting their mental and behavioral health.(Required.)
26.I am concerned that my child’s online gaming is becoming an addiction.(Required.)
27.Social media companies and online gaming platforms should be held responsible for the mental and behavioral health challenges children face as a result of using these services.(Required.)
28.I support the new statewide policy of not allowing my child access to their cellphone or other electronic devices during the school day if their use is not part of my child's IEP strategies or 504 accommodations.
29.Is there anything more you would like to tell us regarding your thoughts about the policy that bans cellphones or other electronic devices in schools?
Caregiver Self-Care
Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each of the following statements.
30.My child’s mental and behavioral health needs are impacting my own mental health and well-being.(Required.)
31.I have the tools and resources I need to address my own mental health and wellbeing.(Required.)
Tell Us More
32.What changes in mental and behavioral health services or school supports would make the biggest difference for your child and family right now?(Required.)
33.If you could share one thing with Maryland leaders about what families like yours are facing, what would you want them to know?(Required.)