Isaiah 41:10 (ESV )
‘Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’.

Gracious God, our heavenly Parent, on this, the second day of Children’s Mental Health Week, we lift before you all parents and carers. We appreciate that this is an enormously challenging time for all those looking after the children in their care as the routines of daily living are disrupted. We think of those home-schooling, many of whom are trying to work from home themselves. We think of frontline workers and their concerns over bringing the virus into the family home. We think of single parents juggling the demands of family life whilst physically separated from their support network of family and friends. We think of those struggling with financial issues, relying on Foodbanks and other agencies and unable to give their children the digital devices that home schooling now requires. We think of those for whom there is conflict within the home. We think of those helping children to deal with the loss of loved ones within the family, whilst dealing with their own grief. So too, we think of those caring for children with health issues or learning disabilities, who may also have lost the presence of the support networks that they rely on for support. And so, Lord God, as we focus upon the mental health of children, so too we pray for the mental well-being of all those caring for children in the home. May we as communities do whatever we can to support them and let them know that we value the amazing job they are doing in the raising of our younger generation. May they know that they are not alone and may Your guiding presence and Your love be at the heart of every home. Amen.