TXT4KIDS marks a new era of proactive city communication—using text messaging to reach every parent with key information on their child’s milestones, growth and learning.
October 29, 2025 (New York) – At today’s City Council Stated Meeting, the Council is set to pass Council Member Gutiérrez’s Intro Bill 1001 – the NYC TXT4KIDS Act, which will launch a text alert system for parents and caregivers connecting them with critical information about their children’s health and education milestones.
Under the new law, the City will have to develop a multilingual text message platform to provide families with timely reminders about early childhood education, registration checkups, vaccination schedules, school enrollment deadlines and more. The system will be designed for ease of access, allowing parents to sign up with just a phone number and to receive messages in their preferred language. This bill directly reflects one of the recommendations in 5BORO’s report on NYC’s child care system, turning their insight into action.
This bill stems from a distinct lack of clarity for New Yorkers regarding childhood information – not all parents have access to email notices, or are too busy to review. Text messaging was successfully utilized by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications during the pandemic to disseminate information about testing sites and vaccine appointments.
“We know what works—clear, direct communication that meets families where they are. Parents shouldn’t have to sift through bureaucratic emails to keep up with their child’s milestones,” said Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, Chair of the Technology Committee. “TXT4KIDS uses common-sense technology to make sure every parent has the information they need to help their child grow, learn, and succeed – in the language that they need.”
“Every year, families across New York City that could be accessing child care and other important publicly-funded resources miss out. There is a big information and awareness gap — and now there is an innovative solution to address it,” said Grace Rauh, Executive Director of Citizens Union and 5BORO Institute at Citizens Union. “In the 5BORO Institute’s 2024 report on child care in New York City, we called on the city to create a text messaging system to make sure families know about their child care options. We commend the City Council for passing the TXT4KIDS Bill, which will help families access the services they need. Thank you to Councilmember Jennifer Gutierrez for her continued leadership on expanding accessible, affordable child care, which is critical for families and pivotal to our city’s economy and growth.”
The passage of this bill will mark a step in the right direction for city communication and connection with the families that make it run, using a proven, common-sense technology tool.
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