Family Abuse Center’s HOPES Program has teamed up with Bright by Text, a free texting service that provides activities, tips, resources and local information directly to the smartphones of caretakers with children from the prenatal months to age 8.
Bright by Text hopes to "make the most of everyday interactions between parents and children to support healthy child development and build strong, resilient families all during the pivotal early years of childhood."
“Particularly during the pandemic, parenting is challenging,” Family Abuse Center’s Executive Director Kathy Reid said. “Bright by Text brings parents helpful hints, useful information and great guidance in a convenient way.”
Messages are customized based on the age of the child to deliver timely information on development, language, early literacy, health, safety, behavior and more.
In addition, some messages will include information specific to McLennan County like community events and local resources.
The resource is available in both Spanish and English.
Bright by Text messages are curated and approved by industry experts like PBS, Vroom, Sesame Street and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We want parents to have the best research-based information right at their fingertips,” Bright by Text President and CEO Jean McSpadden said.
To sign up, text TexasKIDS to 274448. Subscribers will receive two to five text messages per week, and messages can be stopped at any time. Texts include links to landing pages where more information can be found on each message’s topic.
HOPES, or Healthy Outcomes through Prevention and Early Support, is a collaborative support program provided by Family Abuse Center for caregivers of children ages 0-5 in McLennan County.
