Just Like My Child Foundation Is Entering An Exciting New Chapter…
We’re launching Project GRIT – a bold expansion of our proven global work to address the youth mental health crisis right here at home.
After transforming 400,000+ lives across three continents, we're building on nearly two decades of transformative work through the Girl Power Project while boldly expanding our mission to meet the complex needs of today's youth and families.
Project Grit is a multi-platform initiative giving parents the tools and community support they desperately need while empowering young people to develop the mental tools, build the emotional strength and inner purpose they need to thrive in today’s world.
If You've Ever Watched a Child You Love Struggle with Anxiety, Depression, or Isolation... You're Not Alone
You know the heartbreak of:
Watching a bright, loving child withdraw into their room for months…
Feeling helpless despite having every resource at your disposal…
Wondering if you failed them somehow – or if you're already too late…
Seeing other families shatter under the weight of teen mental health crises…
Knowing our kids are drowning in a world we don't recognize…
The Crisis By The Numbers:
● 40% of U.S. high schoolers report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness
● Suicide is now the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 10–24, higher than cancer, heart disease, or AIDS combined
● Suicide rates for this age group rose 62% between 2007 and 2021
● Nearly 70% of LGBTQ+ youth report significant emotional distress
● Depression, anxiety and behavioral disorders are among the leading causes of illness in adolescents
This isn't a "kids these days" problem. It's a systemic crisis and it's worsening by the year.
Today's Youth Face Challenges No Generation Has Ever Faced Before
They're over-protected in the “real” world, but under-protected online, in the digital world of algorithms designed to hijack young minds for profit.
The problem isn’t just "kids these days" being weaker or more fragile.
The real problems are the systemic forces working against their healthy development:
● Social media addiction rewiring dopamine systems
● Digital isolation replacing real community
● Anxiety and depression becoming the norm, not the exception
Kids Today are Burning out Before They Even Start…
And parents are drowning trying to save their children in a world they don't understand. They end up feeling like "bad parents" or that they're failing their child, but they’re not.
They're actually under-skilled warriors fighting an invisible enemy – an enemy they know nothing about.
And if you have resources, connections, and knowledge… Imagine what families are facing who don't.
● Single mothers struggling to just get by.
● Foster families without support systems.
● Parents who don't even know where to begin looking for help…
● …and don’t have the funds for expensive, hard to find mental health resources, testing, and solutions.
This Crisis Hits Every Family, But It Devastates Those Without Access to Resources.
Project Grit aims to level the playing field of these inequities by providing a hub of resources and information from leading experts that anyone can access, anytime, anywhere in the world.
The Perfect Storm Destroying Our Kids:
📱 Digital Dependency
● 95% of teens use social media, 1 in 3 are online "almost constantly"
● Teens average 3.5 hours/day on social media, doubling their risk of depression and anxiety
● 46% of teens say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.
💔 Emotional Isolation
● 73% of Gen Z reports feeling "alone or disconnected" They are the loneliest generation on record, despite being "always connected online"
● 46% of teens have been cyberbullied, with 1 in 4 experiencing multiple forms of harassment
💊 Self-Medicating Pain
● 1 in 8 teens used illicit substances in the past year
● 62% of 12th graders have abused alcohol
● 15% of teens have misused prescription opioids
😴 Physical & Spiritual Burnout
● More than 70% of high schoolers don't get enough sleep
● 80%+ are chronically sleep-deprived in some states
● Only 1 in 5 teens meets daily physical activity guidelines
Real Hope Comes From Proven Prevention
That Actually Works
Project GRIT is a prevention-focused movement led by someone who's lived this crisis personally while building proven frameworks that have transformed 400,000+ lives globally.
Project GRIT integrates heart, science, and real-world tools accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
We're not waiting for the system to fix itself…
… We're building the support system every family deserves.
Bridging The Inequality Gap
The mental health crisis doesn't discriminate – but access to solutions does.
While some families have the privilege of resources, research, and high-level information, millions of parents face this crisis completely alone.
Watching their children suffer while feeling powerless to help…
Isolated in their own communities...
Afraid to ask for support because of shame or stigma…
Project GRIT puts the highest-level information and community support into the hands of anyone who needs it, regardless of their means.
Because every parent deserves access to the same tools and hope, not just those who can afford private therapy or exclusive programs.
We're not just helping families like ours…
… We're ensuring no family faces this alone.
Become a Founding Partner and Help Us Build the Infrastructure for Family Healing
We are seeking $500,000 in startup funds to launch this national movement for youth mental wellness and resilience. This is your opportunity to make a lasting impact on the next generation.
There's no ROI higher than investing in the next generation's mental health.
Where Every Dollar Goes:
● The Bad Mom Podcast Production: A lifeline for overwhelmed parents that creates community through raw, honest conversations and expert insights – reaching millions of families with practical tools before crisis hits. Launch Season 1 and Help to Reach 50,000 parents and families with access to support, vital community, and resources
● Grit Kit Development: Research-backed digital resources adapted from our proven Girl Power Project® framework that helps families, schools, and communities to build emotional resilience and manage anxiety. Create and Scale Platform to reach 10,000
under-resourced families in first year.
● Expert Team Assembly: Building a world-class team to deliver excellence in production, strategic partnerships, and sustainable growth that creates a lasting national impact. Leverage funding to create team of experts to deliver cutting edge expertise.
VISIONARY
CIRCLE
What You Help Fund:
Reach 50 families with V1 of GRIT Kit + fund season 1 of podcast production
What You Receive:
● Two Tickets to Exclusive Dinner with Vivian Glyck and Bad Mom Guests
● 60-sec sponsored segment on The Bad Mom Podcast
● Instagram story tag + shared post
● Featured on Project GRIT site + donor report
CHANGEMAKER
CIRCLE
What You Help Fund:
Fund data collection + research analysis
What You Receive:
● One Ticket to Exclusive Dinner with Vivian Glyck and Bad Mom Guests
● Podcast Shout-Out
● Family name featured on the Project GRIT site.
EMPOWERMENT CIRCLE
What You Help Fund:
Support GRIT Kit development with proven tools and resources for families
What You Receive:
● Podcast thank you Mention
● Digital Donor Badge
● Family name featured on the Project GRIT site
Can't Commit to a Circle?
Every Dollar Creates Impact
The Future Your Investment Makes Possible
Imagine a world where...
● Parents everywhere, no matter their means, have a trusted resource to turn to where they can find answers, tools, resources, common stories, and a community that truly understands
● Teens have tools to develop inner strength in a language they can relate to – building resilience and trust that prevents crisis rather than just managing symptoms
● Families heal together – we provide tools that families can use to create connection as the antidote to isolation and practical frameworks for lasting change
● An entire generation grows up with the emotional tools their parents wished they'd had – breaking cycles of trauma and building foundations for thriving
Your investment makes this possible.
It funds hope, prevention, and the possibility that other families won't have to walk through the darkness alone.
Why Just Like My Child Foundation?
✔️ Proven Global Impact
20+ Years of Documented Success:
● 400,000+ lives transformed across Uganda, India, and underserved U.S. communities since 2006
● Girl Power Project® scientifically proven to keep girls in school and break cycles of poverty
● Pioneer programs now self-sustaining – including a full hospital, 5 schools, and micro-enterprise initiatives
● Featured by CNN, TEDx, Michelle Obama's Let Girls Learn Initiative, and the Clinton Foundation
✔️ Personal Understanding
Our Founder, Vivian Glyck, knows both sides of this crisis intimately.
As a humanitarian, she's spent decades building resilience in vulnerable communities.
As a mother, she's walked through the fire of her son's mental health struggles, feeling helpless despite having extensive resources and connections.
This unique perspective – professional expertise paired with personal pain – is exactly what today's families need.
"I realized that if this was happening in my family – with all my knowledge and connections – imagine what other families were going through alone." —Vivian Glyck
Bridging the Inequality Gap
The mental health crisis doesn't discriminate – but access to solutions does.
While some families have the privilege of resources, research, and high-level information, millions of parents face this crisis completely alone.
Watching their children suffer while feeling powerless to help…
Isolated in their own communities...
Afraid to ask for support because of shame or stigma…
Project GRIT puts the highest-level information and community support into the hands of anyone who needs it, regardless of their means.
Because every parent deserves access to the same tools and hope, not just those who can afford private therapy or exclusive programs.
We're not just helping families like ours…
… We're ensuring no family faces this alone.
Ready To Be Part Of The Solution?
Your donation is an investment in equality:
The support system you wish existed when your family needed it most – now accessible to all families
Prevention that works and hope that heals – instead of expensive band-aid solutions that leave families feeling more broken and defeated than before
A future where no parent feels alone in their child's struggle – regardless of their resources or circumstances
The mental health crisis won't wait. Neither should we.