Bright by Text Launches New Program to Support Mental Health of New Parents and Babies
DENVER, CO, March 1, 2023 – Caring for a new baby can be so many things: tiring, rewarding, challenging, and heart-warming.
New parents now have a supportive, free resource at their literal fingertips as they begin their parenting journey.
Designed specifically for caregivers of a child from birth to age 1, parents who text the word BOND to 274 448 will receive weekly messages to help them care for both their new baby–and themselves.
While many new parents experience ups and downs, an estimated 15-20% of women (more than 600,000 each year) and up to 10% of men experience more significant symptoms of depression or anxiety in baby’s first year. Untreated, these conditions lead to worse outcomes for the parent, baby, and the entire family. Black and indigenous mothers are disproportionately affected.
BOND messages address both parent and child wellbeing and mental health through a series of text messages that encourage self-care, provide tips on parent/child bonding, connect families to mental health resources and provide ample encouragement for new parents.
Strong, nurturing relationships from birth– referred to as early relational health–build the foundation for lifelong positive mental health development.
The BOND text messages, delivered once a week, are free to all parents and caregivers and offered in both English and Spanish. Messages were created in collaboration with expert organizations, including: the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Insurekidsnow.gov campaign, the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health, Postpartum Support International, and ZERO TO THREE.
“We know that a baby’s first year can feel like an emotional roller coaster for many parents,” said Jodie Fishman, Chief Content Officer for Bright by Text. “Our vision is to give every child the potential to thrive. This new program addresses that goal from day 1 by empowering new parents to make their mental health–and that of their baby–a priority.”
The BOND texting series has a 6 month duration. Families can sign up anytime by texting BOND to 274 448 or filling out a simple form at www.brightbytext.org/BOND (or www.brightbytext.org/BOND-spanish for messages in Spanish). Participants’ information is never shared or sold.
BOND messages are part of the larger Bright by Text program, which delivers actionable information from trusted early childhood experts to more than 110,000 parents and caregivers of children, prenatally through age eight, across the United States. Bright by Text is proven to build nurturing caregiver-child relationships, strengthen families, promote a child’s healthy development, and improve school readiness.
Media Inquiries:
Jodie Fishman, Chief Content Officer, Bright by Text
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