New app connects parents to Fort Worth kids’ free resources, events

Parent LaShun Cabness often wonders if his children are reaching their milestones.

She has three children (twins aged 3 years and 3 months). Cabness turned to Parent Pass, an app she helped develop through her work as a manager in her family and community partnerships at Fort Worth ISD.

“Having this easily accessible app and information at hand will help you do that more often,” she said.

Parent paths were created to help parents like Cabness. The app acts as a one-stop-shop for resources ranging from where to find childcare and after-school programs, to connecting parents and finding lessons to teach at home.

The Miles Foundation and its Best Place for Kids initiative created the app. Launched in October 2022. Sadie Funk, National Her Director of Best Place for Kids, describes the app as made by Fort Worth parents, for Fort Worth parents.

All Parent Passes are returned to one group (Parent). Parents are involved from the beginning. About 100 parents from 10 Fort Worth districts helped design and develop Parent Pass.

“They have been an integral part of us from the very beginning, helping set the framework for what the app should do and how it should interact with families,” says Funk. .

3,000 people have used the app so far. Funk hopes to quadruple that number this year.

Miles Foundation Chief Philanthropist Sara Redington sees Parent Pass as a way to close the information gap for parents. Reddington hopes the app can level the playing field and provide every Fort Worth family the opportunity to connect to the same resources.

Parents can create a profile for each child. They entered the school district and age. In return, the app provides parents with information tailored for children.

One example is an app that notifies parents that school will be closed for a holiday. Parent Pass asks the user to enter the school district or charter the student attends and pulls out the respective grade calendar. This is an idea from a parent.

Having what can be considered basic information about the school is a great help for parents, Funk said.

“We’re trying to take that mental strain off and give them more space in their heads so they can focus on their families,” Funk said.

The beginnings of the app can be traced back to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Miles Foundation piloted an email service that allowed parents to submit their child’s age, and in return received corresponding resources from Fort Worth organizations and free events.

Parents can now use Parent Pass to delve into what’s happening in their neighborhood. According to Redington, the app will help parents from birth to high school graduation.

“We’re collecting all these community resources so we’re really speaking the hands of parents and explaining what it’s like to raise a child in Fort Worth,” said Redington. .

According to Funk, the app’s resources are under scrutiny. However, the app relies on parents to recommend organizations, events, etc. to other parents. This approach puts the app available in the driver’s seat for parents.

Similar apps tend to be developer-driven, Funk said. Parent paths flip that idea.

“It starts with the parents and builds from there,” she said.

Redington and Funk hope that Parent Pass will change over time to better meet the needs of Fort Worth. More resources will be added in response to parental suggestions. Accessing resources through apps should also become easier over time.

Redington believes the app will help differentiate Fort Worth from other cities.

“The launch of the Parent Pass app in 15, 25 years is a shining example of how a metropolis like Fort Worth, the 12th largest city in the United States, is rising up to serve families and children. I really hope it’s a really innovative and different way,” she said.

Disclosure: The Miles Foundation is a financial supporter of the Fort Worth Report. The Fort Worth Report makes news decisions independently of its board members and financial backers.Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

Jacob Sanchez is an Enterprise Journalist at Fort Worth Report. jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or twitter.

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