13d • General discussion
Childrens mental health
Three Years Is Too Long: Why Families Can’t Wait for CAMHS
This week I received a letter from CAMHS about my daughter’s referral. It told me the expected wait time: 2.5 to 3 years.
Three years. That’s my daughters entire middle childhood stage and that is just not acceptable. That’s the difference between a child struggling silently and a teenager carrying scars into adulthood. And yet, families across the UK are being told to wait this long for vital mental health support.
I couldn’t accept that. So I booked private therapy. At £60 per session, it’s a financial strain, but I felt I had no choice. Because when your child needs help, you find a way—even if the system has failed you.
But here’s the truth: not every family can afford to go private. Therapy costs in the UK often range from £50 to £100+ per session. For many, that’s simply out of reach. And so children are left waiting, worrying, and worsening.
This isn’t just my story. National reports show thousands of children stuck on CAMHS waiting lists, with some waiting years. Staff are working under impossible conditions, but the system is underfunded and overstretched. Children’s mental health is being treated as optional, not urgent.
What does this mean for families?
Parents are forced into impossible choices: pay privately or watch their child deteriorate.
Inequality deepens, because only those with financial means can access timely care.
Children’s futures are compromised by political decisions made today.
I share this not just to vent my frustration, but to call for change. We need urgent investment in children’s mental health services. We need accountability for the promises made and broken. And we need compassion—for the families holding everything together while the system falls apart.
For now, I’m grateful my daughter will get the support she needs. But I’m angry that it comes at such a cost, and that so many others are left behind.
👉 Our children cannot afford to wait years for help. And as parents, educators, and advocates, we cannot afford to stay silent.
#CAMHS #EndCAMHSWaits #ChildrensMentalHealth #MentalHealthMatters #NoChildLeftWaiting #FundCAMHS #SupportOurChildren #FamiliesForChange
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Childrens mental health
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