Bringing the Basics to a Rural Hub: An Equity Assessment of Parents’ Knowledge of Child Development

Operation First Five (OF5) was established to support families raising children. OF5 is a coalition of local citizens invested in children growing up healthy, safe, and prepared for Kindergarten. OF5 partnered with The Basics Learning Network to provide weekly text messaging regarding child development. Before implementing The Basics messaging, OF5 assessed parents' knowledge of their children's development via survey. One hundred thirty-nine participants completed the survey. Most parents reported understanding activities that support child development (eg, reading to their child is important). Only 54% of parents reported reading to their child at least once a day. A disconnect was realized between parents' knowledge of child development and implementing quality interactions with their children. To address the disconnect, OF5 began rolling out The Basics text messaging program and other community-wide efforts. OF5 plans to re-assess parents' knowledge of their children's development in 5 years to identify the impact of The Basics.