United Way of Lake County announces Bright by Text partnership

United Way of Lake County announced today it has teamed up with Bright by Text, a national parent texting program, to put expert tips, games and child development information in the hands of parents and caregivers. During the COVID-19 crisis, United Way of Lake County is proud to offer a unique resource like Bright by Text as children are learning at home and families are facing new challenges to support their children's health and learning. The texting service includes topics like brain development, games and activities, health and wellness, STEM, safety and more. Bright by Text partners with experts like PBS, Vroom, Sesame Street, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and others to develop content for families with children aged prenatal to age eight.

"We are pleased to be able to offer Bright by Text's early childhood education and development tools free of charge to local families with young children," said Rosa Herrera, Success By 6 program manager, United Way of Lake County. "This service is a wonderful complement to our ongoing early education programming ensuring Lake County children and families succeed together."

Bright by Text helps parents and caregivers make the most out of time at home with their children by illustrating fun and easy activities, providing positive parenting tips and resources, and even video content to guide a child’s development. The program is proven to build nurturing caregiver-child relationships, and positively impact a child’s healthy development and school readiness. Innovative services like Bright by Text will help provide equitable solutions to early education while schools remain closed.

"These partnerships are vital for early education and caregiver support while schools, libraries and childcare centers may be closed," said Jean McSpadden, president and CEO of Bright by Text. "Because we use text messaging, all the content is easily accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. We know this method works -- 95% of Bright by Text subscribers say it makes them a more confident caregiver."

To sign up, parents and caregivers with children under 8 can text the word "UWLC" to 274448. They will receive 2 to 4 text messages per week, and each message includes a link to a landing page with more detail, short modeling videos, and links to related resources.

For more information, visit LIVEUNITEDlakecounty.org/bright-by-text.

ABOUT UNITED WAY OF LAKE COUNTY
At United Way of Lake County, we believe that preparing children to thrive in school is the best way to disrupt the cycle of poverty. That's why we engage in activities that are ensuring children are ready for their first day of school, building children's early literacy skills, helping youth overcome barriers to high school graduation and empowering families to develop a strong foundation for their child's future success. United Way of Lake County recently launched 211, a free, confidential, 24-hour information and referral helpline, connecting individuals and families in Lake County to essential health and human services, to improve and save lives.

Through the support of our partners and supporters, we are transforming communities by delivering programs that are timely, effective and scalable, with results we can measure. For more information, visit LIVEUNITEDlakecounty.org.