Lantern program expands to more ages and adds HEAR track

Our partners at Lantern, formerly Bright by Text, offer a free service that sends tips and resources promoting early child development via text message.

As we celebrate a new milestone here at Arizona PBS of more than 40,000 messages sent each month, Lantern has expanded their scope across the state to families with children from 0 to 11 years of age.

In addition to the opt-in BOND program, Lantern has added a new program called HEAR, which is focused on families with hearing and visual impairments.

What is the HEAR program?

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Lantern and the Helping Adults Talk to Children (HATCH) Lab at Idaho State University are putting trusted information into the hands of families with children who have — or may have — hearing loss.

In the U.S., 3 out of every 1,000 babies are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears. More than 90% of deaf children are born to parents who hear, which can make the news of a hearing loss very unexpected. It is critical that all families with a child who is deaf or hard of hearing have access to clear, accurate information that explains the communication options for their child and how they can best support their child’s development.

“A hearing loss diagnosis can be scary, overwhelming and isolating for parents of infants and toddlers particularly if hearing loss doesn’t run in the family,” said Tena McNamara, AuD, CCC-A/SLP, 2024 ASHA President. “But there are ways to mitigate that. Through this new program, we hope to empower parents with information, connect them to professionals and peers for services and support and help them to feel confident about the future for their child and family.”

“We are so proud to partner with ASHA and HATCH Lab on this new program,” said Jodie Fishman, MPH, Chief Content Officer for Lantern. “Our goal is to give all children the brightest possible start, and with these messages, we aim to help families feel more secure in their choices and better prepared to raise a child with hearing challenges.”

How does it work?

Lantern delivers actionable information from trusted early childhood experts to more than 250,000 parents and caregivers of children, prenatally through age 11. Lantern’s free text messages, tailored to a child’s exact age and the family’s zip code, are proven to build nurturing caregiver–child relationships, strengthen families, promote a child’s healthy development and improve school readiness.

The HEAR program is a specialty track within Lantern’s larger network specifically designed for families of children ages birth to 3 years with suspected or confirmed hearing loss. Messages are a mix of information and encouragement, delivered once per week for 6 months. The program is available in English, Spanish or Arabic.

Who helped to create the messages?

HEAR messages were developed by ASHA, Lantern and HATCH Lab professionals and refined in collaboration with a group of parents within the HATCH Lab who have children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

“The HEAR program is special because these messages were co-created by clinical experts, representing audiology, speech-language pathology, and pediatrics, and families who have ‘been there,’” noted Kristina Blaiser, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Director of the HATCH Lab. “I believe families will find the messages tremendously valuable.”

How do I sign up?

All parents of a child aged birth to 3 years old can text the word HEAR to 274448 for free text messages, in English, Spanish or Arabic, with tips specifically designed for families of children with suspected or confirmed hearing loss.

Parents can also sign up on the Lantern website.

About Lantern

Lantern is a free parent and caregiver messaging program for expectant parents and families with children up to age 11. The service is designed to be relevant to today’s families, providing quality information and trusted resources to any caregiver, including hard-to-reach, low income families and informal caregivers. Visit their website to learn more.