GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Wedgwood Christian Services hosted its State of the Child conference to address the challenges facing today's youth and provide strategies for support.
Jason Lheureux, director of Residential Programs at Wedgwood Christian Services, highlighted the changing landscape of substance use among young people.
"There's been a lot of changes in substance use with the normalization of certain substances and the advent of vaping," Lheureux said. "Substances are being exposed to our youth at a much earlier age."
Lheureux emphasized that children are growing up faster and facing more complex lives than previous generations.
"They're acutely aware of all of the demands that are placed upon them: the pressures, the peer pressure, social media and society," he said. "It's a lot to handle, and they really are looking for help."
Dr. Dan Gowdy, president and CEO of Wedgwood Christian Services, noted a decline in youth mental health, particularly in relation to digital connections.
"We're seeing that kids [are] relying on digital connections but still see a growing degree of feelings of isolation," Gowdy said. "So we need to get our arms around that."
Gowdy encouraged adults to engage with youth on their terms, stating, "Find out what your youth is in to. Spend time doing what matters to them, because they matter to you."
Keynote speaker Dr. Angela Pharris, from the Hope Research Center, stressed the importance of instilling hope in young people.
"For me, one of the biggest challenges I think we face is that we have some work to do," Pharris said. "We need to teach our kids to be hopeful, and we probably need to come back and work on it ourselves as the adults around them so that we can really model that hope for them."
The conference aimed to not only discuss youth challenges but also to provide attendees with practical ways to help young people in their community.
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