Free text message program to support Victorian parents
23 March, 2022
The Parenting Research Centre is partnering with Centre for Community Child Health at The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne to lead the development of content for the Victorian Government Department of Education and Training’s Play Learn Grow text message program, which begins this month.
The program is a free text message program for parents and carers of two-year-old and three-year-old children in Victoria. Registrations for the free program are closing on August 12, 2022.
Parents and carers who sign up to the Play Learn Grow program will receive three personalised text messages a week for 24 weeks. The messages will include practical advice, information and ideas of easy activities to do while at home.
The Parenting Research Centre is developing the content of the text messages in collaboration with leading early childhood experts, as well as supporting the Department of Education and Training in the promotion and scaling of the program.
These short, engaging messages aim to support parents to help their children thrive by offering advice and actions with a focus on cognitive, social and emotional development in children, as well as promoting parental wellbeing.
Text messages will cover the following themes – reading, playing, talking, and self-care.
It is free to sign up. Participants will be able to opt-out of the program at any time.
More information
- Registrations for this program can be done via the Play Learn Grow website, or by texting “PLAY” to 0428 606 027.
- Play Learn Grow will be available in Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Karen and Simplified Chinese from April 2022. Register to receive in-language texts from April.