If you’re a parent or child caretaker, the news can feel especially daunting in these post-pandemic times. Math and reading proficiency levels among fourth- and eighth-graders across the U.S. dropped precipitously between 2019 and 2022. High school graduation rates dipped in almost half of the country’s states in 2021. In October, a panel of health experts recommended that all children ages 8 to 18 receive routine screening for anxiety during visits to primary care doctors.