Bright by Text is sending parents advice on child development and resources in the badger state

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - United Way of Wisconsin is partnering with Bright by Text to provide free childhood resources to parents and caregivers in the Badger state.

Bright by Text is a free service helping parents positively impact their child’s development and school readiness.

Executive Director of United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley, Andy Neborak, says Bright By text aligns well with United Way’s education initiative.

“Our focus in education is to ensure that children in Chippewa and Eau Claire counties enter school ready to succeed. So the way that you do that is through focusing on early childhood development from birth to age five,” Neborak said.

Parents who sign up for Bright by Text are sent a few messages each week with tips on brain development, wellness, STEM and more.

“There’s tips on anything from potty training to starting to eat solid foods, getting your child to eat more foods and try new things. There is one on tantrums that is really relevant right now for us of how to deal with that and overcome that. And so it’s things that you you deal with at different stages of a child’s development in that really critical birth to particularly age three range,” Neborak said.

Neborak is also a parent who uses the service. He said it’s an easy and helpful tool for any parent or caregiver to use.

“The thing that’s really nice about this is it comes right to you,” Neborak said.

To sign up, simply text BADGER to 274448 or click here.

“Any young child is only as successful as the environment they’re in at home. So a lot of the things that it’s talking about are how to create that positive and supportive in developmental environment for your child at their home so that they can be successful,” Neborak said.

Bright by Text also connects families to local services such as library resources and food pantries. United Way also has a toll free number, 211, to help connect community members with local resources.

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