Empowering Parents, Nurturing Children
We’re excited to share that Bright by Text is evolving into Lantern, a new and improved platform that will continue delivering high-quality early childhood and family resources via text. As part of our commitment to supporting families and young children, Crossroads United Way (CRUW) remains dedicated to expanding this vital service in our community. While the name and look are new, the mission remains the same—ensuring every child has the support they need to thrive.
Lantern is a national nonprofit specializing in delivering childhood development resources to parents through an innovative text messaging platform. Driven by our passion for making a meaningful impact, our team approaches our mission with wholehearted authenticity, unwavering integrity, and boundless optimism.
Parenting comes with its challenges, but with Lantern, expert advice and support are just a text away! Sign up now to receive free, age-specific parenting tips and local resources directly to your phone.
Here's how it works:
Age-Specific Tips: Whether you're expecting a baby or have a toddler, Lantern sends practical tips and activities tailored to your child's exact age.
Local Events and Resources: In partnership with Crossroads United Way in Elkhart, LaGrange, and Noble Counties, Lantern shares information about events and resources in your community, ensuring you stay informed about valuable opportunities.
Wide Range of Topics: From milestones by age to social-emotional development tips, brain-boosting games, and advice on challenging topics like sleep and picky eating, Lantern covers it all!
Who Can Benefit: Lantern is for anyone caring for a child, from pregnancy through age 11, with the option for parents to continue receiving tips until their child turns 18. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, babysitter, teacher, or friend, sign up today to receive valuable parenting tips, expert advice, and developmental resources tailored to your child's age and stage.
Because kids don’t come with instructions, Lantern provides essential information tailored for nurturing children from pregnancy through preteen. Parenting is a journey filled with precious moments. Let Lantern be your companion, providing expert advice and support every step of the way.
Join Us in Supporting Families and Community Partners!
As we grow, we want to enroll more families and engage more community partners in sharing important messages. If your organization would like to enroll your caregivers and/or send texts to families, we’d love to collaborate! Visit our Lantern Community Partner page to learn how you can send messages. Feel free to share the resources below to enroll new families..
Our goal is to reach our audience of caregivers of 0-3 year olds through the collaborative grant with Building Strong Brains and Early Years Initiative, and the platform has resources for birth through 18 in multiple languages.
Thank you for being part of this important work—we can’t wait to continue making a difference together!
Sign Up Now: Click Here or text the word "CHILD" to 274 448 to start receiving Lantern messages today!
For more information, please contact: Natalie Evans at evansn@crossroadsuw.org or 574-295-1650.