By Joseph Bargione 

For some of us, the name Fred McFeely Rogers may have no meaning.  However, if you grew up before cell phones or social media, and you heard a certain theme song you might smile or sing along.  

Fred Rogers created the iconic children’s tv show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which aired from 1968 to 2001 on 384 Public Broadcast Stations (PBS). At the height of its popularity, it was being viewed in 1.8 million homes.   

Mister Rogers discussed a variety of topics that children experienced growing up.  He was not afraid to also address the more serious issues, including divorce, childhood disabilities, and social unrest.

He often shared with his viewers some wisdom passed down from his mother.  He said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping.” 

Today more than ever, our children are experiencing very challenging and scary times. According to the latest KIDS COUNT Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation: 

  • 22% of children live in poverty 
  • 33% of children have parents who lack secure employment 
  • 41% of children ages 10 to 17 are overweight or obese 

When 94,000 middle and high school students completed the 2021 Kentucky Incentives and Prevention (KIP) survey the following was found: 

  • 22% reported serious psychological distress in the past 30 days 
  • 8% reported attempting suicide 
  • 14% reported considering suicide 
  • These rates increased for students of color and those identifying as LGBTQ+ or if they were vaping, using cannabis, or binge drinking. 

In 2019, policy makers in Frankfort passed the School Safety and Resiliency Act.  This law recognized that students need to feel physically and psychologically safe in school.  As a result, there has been an increase in safety measures and mental health services in schools. Each school district is now responsible for creating and implementing a trauma-informed educational plan.  

In November, Kentuckians will vote to determine who will occupy the governor’s chair for the next 4 years.  As citizens, we need to make sure our governor and legislators (elected ‘helpers’) continue to make children’s issues a priority through sound policies, laws, and budgetary planning, such as continuing to support key pieces of the School Safety and Resiliency Act of 2019. 

Our legislators will be crafting a state budget in 2024.  Kentucky has record surpluses and needs to spend its money wisely. We need to be able to run a 100-yard dash and marathon when crafting the budget. Will the next budget meet the immediate needs of our children, and the underlying causes? The same question posed to the candidates for governor should be asked of the legislators. Will funding priorities be based on programs that have sound research supporting them, versus a new “shiny” program that a well-connected person or group wants funded? 

We cannot rely on policy makers alone to do all the work, however.  Each of us needs to ask the question “What can I do to be a helper in my community?”   

If you are a parent of a school-aged child, volunteer to serve on the School-Based Decision Making Council at their school, in your child’s classroom, or with their extra-curricular activities. If you do not have children or they are now adults, volunteer to be a mentor at a neighborhood school, or become a Big Brother/Big Sister in your community.   

Children who are looking for helpers would benefit greatly from your support.  

Just imagine a Kentucky where any child who needs a helper, has a helper.  If we do this, we can make Mister Rogers proud of our neighborhood. 

Joseph Bargione, PhD, is a Licensed Psychologist and an Executive Committee member of the Bounce Coalition.