Using Text Message Reminders to Promote Program Attendance: Considerations from STREAMS
OPRE report #2022-313
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Associated Project
Strengthening Relationship Education and Marriage Services (STREAMS) Evaluation
Prepared for:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation
Clients
Key Findings
Drawing on the findings of our study and our experiences developing and testing the test message reminders, we suggest five considerations that can help maximize the impact of text message reminders on attendance at voluntary programs:
- Seek input from community members, program staff, and clients
- Understand your service population
- Carefully plan the content of the text message reminders
- Be intentional about the timing and frequency of messages
- Track and assess your progress
This brief presents considerations for practitioners who want to try using text message reminders to increase participation at the first session of a voluntary program and regular attendance thereafter. The considerations are drawn from a recent study assessing the effectiveness of text message reminders in promoting couples’ attendance at a voluntary healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) workshop in Florida. The study was conducted by Mathematica and Public Strategies as part of the Strengthening Relationship Education and Marriage Services (STREAMS) evaluation for the Administration for Children and Families.
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