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Kate Middleton's new mental-health plan

The Duchess of Cambridge is launching a new website to help children access better mental health support in school.

The mental health and wellbeing of children has always been a top priority for the duchess, and on Tuesday she is due to launch a new online portal which aims to provide comprehensive advice and ideas to teachers and staff.

Mentally Healthy Schools is the latest initiative from the Heads Together campaign — launched by the duchess alongside her husband, Prince William, and Prince Harry — which aims to highlight gaps in mental health care.

Kate visited Roe Green Junior School, Brent, one of the schools that has been doing a trial of the new website, to officially launch the online resource.

Kate paid a visit to Roe Green Junior School to launch the campaign. Source: Getty
Kate paid a visit to Roe Green Junior School to launch the campaign. Source: Getty

Though there are lots of mental health resources available for teachers, Mentally Healthy Schools has been specially created to help them talk to children about issues ranging from bereavement to anxiety and eating disorders.
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Kate Middleton gets a bear hug from schoolkid

Kate was a hit with the children. Source: Getty
Kate was a hit with the children. Source: Getty

Speaking about the new site, Kensington Palace said: “Teachers and staff play a pivotal role in a young person’s life, but they currently struggle to find the right resources in order to provide the most effective support for children in their care.

“Up until now, the array of online resources has been difficult to navigate; it is often unclear whether items are expertly verified, and teachers are often unsure how appropriate the advice is for their particular age-group or issue.”

The Duchess received a bunch of yellow blooms during her visit. Source: Getty
The Duchess received a bunch of yellow blooms during her visit. Source: Getty

The duchess — who is pregnant with her third child and is the mother of Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, 2 — has regularly spoken about the importance of encouraging children to open up about mental health issues.

Kate showed she's cool with the kids. Source: Getty
Kate showed she's cool with the kids. Source: Getty

“We need to help young people and their parents understand that it’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help,” Kate previously said in a video filmed at Bethlem and Maudsley Hospital School in Beckenham. “A child’s mental health is just as important as their physical health and deserves the same quality of support.”

The news comes as it was revealed that the duchess may be planning a home birth for her third child.

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