Linn-Benton Community College Early Learning Hub offers free resources for families and caregivers

The Early Learning Hub of Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties is highlighting its partnership with Bright by Text, a free messaging service that supports parents and other caregivers of children from prenatal up to age 8.

Bright by Text, is a national nonprofit that sends text messages to parents and caregivers to help give every child the brightest possible start in life. Through tips, information, games, and resources, Bright by Text is proven to build nurturing caregiver- child relationships, strengthen families, promote a child's healthy development, and improve school readiness.

“We use Bright by Text to directly reach families in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties with local information related to health, housing, and food insecurity,” said Kristi Collins, Director at Early Learning Hub. “We also provide information regarding resources like parenting classes, child care, family-friendly activities and preschool open enrollment periods.”

Bright by Text sends two to four free text messages per week in English or Spanish based on your child's age and where you live. The content comes from trusted partners like PBS and Sesame Street. Messages are timed to your child’s age and include information on development, language and early literacy, health, safety, behavioral tips, and community resources in your area.

A new dad might click on an article about how to soothe an infant; a toddler’s babysitter could watch a short video on safe activities to help build jumping skills; a grandparent could discover a weekly reading hour at a library nearby.

This is only one of the resources offered by the Early Learning Hub’s Pollywog Program. Pollywog has a website full of content focused on resources to prepare parents, grandparents, foster parents, and other caregivers to create healthy families. Parents and other caregivers can sign up today by texting ELHKIDS to 274 448 or online at https://bbtxt.org/3bNtwUF.

“The internet can be overwhelming. There is so much out there. Parents or caregivers may not have the time to search or know which sites to trust,” said LeAnne Trask, Early Learning Hub Pollywog Program coordinator. “We want families to have easy access to the tools and information to support their children at every stage of development, and we know that these text messages work! 74% of Bright by Text subscribers say our messages make them more confident, and 97% would recommend the program to a friend."

For those interested in the Bright by Text program or their various other resources, visit https://pollywogfamily.org/.

The Early Learning Hub was designed by the State of Oregon to make early learning resources and supports more available, more accessible, and more effective for children and families that have historically been over-represented in the opportunity gap and under-represented in achievement. Our goals are to identify the under-served children in Linn, Benton and Lincoln Counties and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, access those needs, and then work with cross-sector partners to level resources and meet the needs of young children and families.