A Naperville nonprofit born from an emergency room crisis is turning 25.

KidsMatter, the youth mental health and prevention organization headquartered at 225 W. Jefferson Ave., traces its origins to 1995. That year, emergency-room staff at Edward Hospital flagged a troubling rise in self-harm and substance use among young people, according to a Positively Naperville profile of the organization.

The hospital's leaders recognized the problem couldn't be solved by healthcare or law enforcement alone. Edward Hospital, Mayor George Pradel and a group of community volunteers built a collaborative prevention strategy that became the Naperville Youth Development Coalition. The coalition received its tax-exempt nonprofit status in 2001 and later rebranded as KidsMatter.

The organization adopted Search Institute's 40 Developmental Assets as its framework. The model identifies 20 external assets, such as family support and school engagement, and 20 internal assets, including social-emotional skills and positive identity. Research tied to the framework shows young people with more of those assets are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors.

The organization's programs and services reach roughly 45,000 youth across DuPage and Will counties, according to KidsMatter's website. All programs are free, funded by donors. KidsMatter also leads the Collaborative Youth Team of Illinois (CYT), a coalition of more than 30 youth-serving organizations including schools, mental health providers and public safety agencies, the Chicago Tribune reported.

"The work that KidsMatter does for our community has a substantial impact on the wellness and success of our students," Stephanie Posey, principal of Naperville North High School, said in a testimonial on the organization's website.

KidsMatter CEO and Executive Director Nina Menis, a Naperville native who has worked in education and nonprofit advancement for more than 30 years, said in an Aug. 20 announcement of the Grand Marshal honor that the organization's commitment has not wavered even as challenges facing young people have evolved. She called KidsMatter "a vital connector across people and organizations in our community."

The Naperville Jaycees will honor KidsMatter as Grand Marshal of the 2026 Last Fling Labor Day Parade, scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 7, at Naperville North High School, NCTV17 reported. The organization's 25th Anniversary EMPOWER Gala is listed on its website for Oct. 24.

Residents interested in getting involved can mentor a teen, volunteer, attend a parent forum or become a community partner through kidsmatter2us.org. KidsMatter also lists a crisis resource on its site: text REACH to 741741 for free, 24/7 support.