On April 3, 2023, the United Way of Wisconsin announced it has teamed up with Bright by Text, a national parent texting program, to put expert tips, games, and child development information directly into the hands of parents and caregivers.
“The United Way of Wisconsin is thrilled to expand the use of Bright by Text across Wisconsin,” said President and CEO Charlene Mouille. “This tool will help parents and caregivers be more intentional with their time with children. We are excited to work with state and community partners to reach all families in Wisconsin.”
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, CDC, and others to develop content for families with children aged prenatal to age eight.
In addition to expert content, Bright by Text includes messages about information and resources specific to Wisconsin communities like digital library resources, food pantries, and preschool open enrollment periods. Community organizations across Wisconsin will collaborate with local United Ways to submit information about services and resources available to families and children.
Bright by Text helps parents and caregivers make the most of time at home with their children by illustrating fun and easy activities, providing positive parenting tips and resources, and even sharing 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.
Chelsea Powell shared her perspective as both a Wisconsin parent using Bright by Text and Deputy Director at Higher Expectations and said, “I got a text recently about how toddlers can have very strong emotions that can be difficult to manage, with a link to learn more about how to work with my toddler on their emotions–which is super helpful!” Parents and caregivers can feel assured that they are receiving important local announcements and information in Wisconsin thanks to the United Way of Wisconsin and its partners. Bright by Text is a free resource available to all families.
To sign up, parents and caregivers with children under age eight can text the word BADGER to 274448. They will receive two to four 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. Families may sign up multiple children and will receive text messages specific to each child.
The United Way of Wisconsin (UWWi) is a statewide organization providing member support services to the local and independent United Ways in Wisconsin. Through UWWi member support services, local United Ways in Wisconsin have the capacity to build stronger communities individually and collectively. For more information, go to unitedwaywi.org or call 608.246.8272.