The disruptions to everyday life stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic have left our children in a vulnerable place. Reduced early-childhood academic and social stimulation has negatively impacted the mental health and wellbeing of countless children and their families across the globe.
Though the pandemic is gradually easing and our children are getting back to the activities they love, the damage has been done. Beyond Blue reminds us that “mental health and wellbeing is established early in life and provides children with the foundation for all aspects of their development including physical, educational, social, emotional and cognitive development.” This highlights the importance of ensuring our children are supported in this way by learning to identify the signs and act quickly if things start to fall off-track.
Quirky Kid seeks to address this challenge through their digital child-focused platform, BriteChild, which supports mental health and wellbeing through interactive online resources and telehealth.
The BriteChild initiative is led by renowned child psychologist, Dr. Kimberley O’Brien and accomplished COO, Leonardo Rocker. Together, they are designing and building a platform which guides parents and carers to the right resources for their childrens’ mental health and wellbeing.
These resources have been designed with children in mind, using colourful graphics and meaningful associations, such as sibling relationships, to explain and teach social and emotional learning and other essential skills to children. This accessible content is supported by an on-demand Q&A platform whereby carers can receive direct answers regarding the needs of those who depend on them.
BriteChild allows users to schedule telehealth appointments with child psychologists across the country, and shortly, across the globe. This provides children and their carers with prompt access to the right child psychologist, regardless of physical location, cost, or potential stigma.
With the help of the team at Sprout Scientific, BriteChild secured $200,000 in funding to develop and enhance their platform through Round 2 of the Boosting Female Founders Initiative. We are thrilled to see such a deserving team win this funding, and are looking forward to the much-needed improvements BriteChild will make in the child mental health and wellbeing space.
To learn more about Quirky Kid and Britechild, check out their websites!
If you are interested in funding opportunities like this one, reach out to us here, we look forward to hearing from you!