Bright by Three’s Bright by Text (BBT) program offers a free text message service that sends SMS messages targeted to a child’s development, language and literacy skills, and health and safety right to a parent or caregiver’s cell phone. Messages provide positive parenting practices in a digestible and engaging format, helping parents and caregivers feel prepared, as well as providing them with local recommendations for real world support.
An independent evaluation of BBT found that the program improves child outcomes. Children of BBT subscribers are on average 3 months ahead of a comparison group in language development and are comparable in language development to Bright by Three’s home-visit group. Additionally, BBT subscribers report feeling less overwhelmed by parenting, despite similar risk factors as home-visit and comparison group counterparts.
BBT sees incredibly high user engagement, with one-third of caregivers who receive information about local events reporting they attend or used those services. More than 85% of caregivers engage in the recommended activities, a similar level of engagement to Bright by Three’s home-visiting program.
Overdeck Family Foundation, in partnership with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, helped Bright by Three scale their program from local to national efforts.
Enhancing each stage of childhood learning, from birth to high school.
Overdeck Family Foundation focuses exclusively on education, providing funding across four focus areas that encompass the whole child from birth through high school both inside and outside the classroom.