Kids Mental Health Foundation Brings Together Families and Advocates for Kids Mental Health Day Celebrations in LA

LOS ANGELES, CA (May 18, 2025) — The Kids Mental Health Foundation, the nation’s leading organization promoting mental health for children, hosted a day-long celebration at The Grove in Los Angeles on Saturday for Kids Mental Health Day. The event brought together families, caregivers, and community members for a free, fun-filled day during Mental Health Awareness Month, advancing The Kids Mental Health Foundation’s mission to build a world where mental health is a vital part of every child’s upbringing. 

Throughout the celebration, children and families enjoyed a wide range of interactive activities, including mindfulness sessions to encourage physical activity while promoting mental wellness, conversation stations to discuss mental health and win prizes, story time, a card station to craft heartfelt messages for loved ones, a station for building kindness kits to be distributed to LA schools, and more. The activities were led by The Kids Mental Health Foundation’s expert clinicians and staff as well as special celebrity guests, including actor and author Alyson Stoner, who led a dance party; actress, producer and author Tika Sumpter, who led a story time from her new children’s book I Got It From My Mama; actress and mental health advocate Ava Phillippe, who helped lead activities throughout the afternoon; and Univision 34' meteorologist, Yara Lasanta.

“Now, more than ever, we need to empower families with tools and resources to support their children’s mental health," said Ariana Hoet, PhD, executive clinical director of The Kids Mental Health Foundation and a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the founder of The Kids Mental Health Foundation. “We’re thrilled that our Kids Mental Health Day has provided fun ways for so many families to start conversations around these important topics with their children. These opportunities are a crucial part of our work to create a world where mental health is a vital part of every child’s upbringing.”

The event also served as an opportunity to raise awareness about The Kids Mental Health Foundation’s work, providing free resources to empower adults across the United States to support children’s mental health and wellness with confidence. During Mental Health Awareness Month, The Kids Mental Health Foundation has launched an initiative — Kids Mental Health Starts With Us — that highlights the crucial role parents, caregivers, grandparents, educators, coaches and community members play in helping the children in their lives build mental wellness and resilience before mental health concerns arise.

The night before The Kids Mental Health Day celebration, event co-chairs and mental health advocates Angel Carter Conrad and Corey Conrad hosted an intimate celebration to kick off the weekend and celebrate champions of children’s mental health. The night honored special guest attendees for their work in mental health advocacy, including LA Galaxy player Christian Ramirez; actress, producer, documentarian, and director Soleil Moon Frye; and Chief Medical Director for Los Angeles Unified School District Smita Malhotra, MD.

“Talking with children about mental health is so essential to ensuring that kids feel comfortable discussing it throughout their lives,” said Angel Carter Conrad, celebrity champion for The Kids Mental Health Foundation and co-chair of Kids Mental Health Day. “Events like Kids Mental Health Day empower kids by helping them understand their feelings and providing them with the tools they need to feel safe, confident, and happy. This issue is so dear to my heart, and my husband, Corey, and I are so proud to work with The Kids Mental Health Foundation to make sure that every child understands how important their mental health is.”

Kids Mental Health Day was made possible through the support of this year’s sponsors including the Benefit Host Committee, which includes champions Malin Akerman, Bianca Lawson, and Raymond Lee and cast from The Young & The Restless including Judah Mackey, Mark Grossman, Melissa Claire Egan and Executive Producer and Head Writer Josh Griffith; Abercrombie & Fitch Co.; American Psychiatric Association Foundation; CAA Foundation; Caruso Properties; Fanatics; GoNoodle; UTA; and media partner Univision. The Kids Mental Health Foundation extends its thanks for their invaluable support and commitment to raising national awareness for child mental health. 

PHOTOS from Kids Mental Health Day HERE

PHOTOS from The Night Before Cocktail Party HERE

Credit: Kids Mental Health Foundation

For more information and free kids’ mental health resources, please visit KidsMentalHealthFoundation.org. 

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About The Kids Mental Health Foundation

The Kids Mental Health Foundation is the leading organization promoting mental health for children in the United States. To achieve its vision to build a world where mental health is a vital part of every child’s upbringing, nearly 1,000 mental health professionals and researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, in partnership with other trusted experts, provide real-world knowledge and expertise to power the Foundation's free educational videos, guides and curriculum. To date more than 24 million people have engaged with the Foundation’s materials, helping parents, educators and coaches be a guiding force for children all across the United States.

About The Grove

Developed by Caruso in 2002, The Grove is one of the country’s most acclaimed shopping, dining and lifestyle destinations, offering the best mix of retail, restaurants and entertainment in Southern California. Set on 20 acres adjacent to the historic Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles, The Grove offers a welcoming park-like setting with a vibrant pedestrian streetscape and first-class retail experience that successfully marries hometown charm with high-end shopping. This unique mix has earned The Grove recognition as the heart of the city – a “see and be seen” destination, a neighborhood gem and a community all its own. The Grove’s award-winning design, first-class Concierge service and community-like ambiance have garnered numerous awards and recognition throughout the retail industry, including being named the “#1 Shopping Destination in Los Angeles” by TripAdvisor, and ranking #2 of Fortune’s “10 Highest Sales-Generating Shopping Centers” in the country. The Grove also tops Shopping Center Today’s list of top 10 shopping centers in the world based on sales per square foot. For more information, please visit The Grove at https://thegrovela.com or on Instagram @TheGroveLA.