What is Lantern?
Lantern provides expert-curated tips, engaging activities, and trusted, evidence-based resources via text messages to help families support their children's healthy development from pregnancy through the preteen years. Lantern is:
- FREE: Anyone caring for a child, from pregnancy to preteen, can join us.
- Evidence-based: Collaborates with more than 50 trusted early childhood expert organizations.
- Personalized: Messages tailored to a child’s age, family’s location, and topics of interest.
- Accessible: Offered in multiple languages and delivered to mobile phones across the U.S.
- Proven: Data shows strengthens families by increasing caregiver confidence, competence, and connection.
- Multilingual: Messages are available in English, Spanish, and Arabic.
What kind of content should I expect?
Age-based messages have been curated in collaboration with experts in the child development field and include tips, conversation starters, learning games and activities, and much more! Topics include:
- Health, safety, and wellness
- Developmental milestones
- Brain development and learning
- Parenting support and encouragement
- Challenging topics like picky eating, sleep, and tantrums
Topic-based messages allow families to choose what matters most to them. Some of the channels include:
- Cooking - easy, healthy, budget-friendly recipes the whole family will love
- Bonding - tips for taking care of yourself as a new parent and bonding with your baby during that amazing first year and beyond
- Talking - information and support to anyone with concerns about their 2-6 year-old's speech or language development
- Math - easy, fun ways to add math to your daily life with a toddler
- Hearing - information and support for anyone with concerns about their 0-3 year-old's hearing
Location-based messages are created in partnership with organizations in Greater New Bedford! You may hear about:
- Events for children and families like AHA! and Family Fest
- Story groups with the New Bedford Public Library
- Outdoor adventures with The Trustees of Reservations
- Play groups with PACE Child Care Works
- Parent & child activities with United Way of Greater New Bedford
How do I sign up?
Text GREAT to 274448 OR click one of the links below:
Contact
Have questions about Lantern? Email lantern@unitedwayofgnb.org.