Springfield has specific challenges that the 413families campaign addresses. Fifty nine percent of Springfield's students cannot read proficiently by the time they reach fourth grade. Fourth grade reading proficiency is such a critical benchmark that in 2009, the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation and their community partners launched the Reading Success by Fourth Grade (RS4G) initiative, a community engagement and research process that resulted in numerous strategic activities to raise awareness, skills, and community collaboration. The Foundation helped convene community partners for the 413families campaign, knowing that texts sent to parents, encouraging reading and literacy, would be a powerful tool.

Key elements include:

1. Building a database of local families with young children
2. Sharing tips and activities, in English and Spanish, in a method parents will respond to (texting)
3. Promotion of the 413families campaign through print materials, online, and media outlets
4. Regular meetings with the campaign partner organizations: The Davis Foundation, Springfield Museums, Greater Springfield YMCA, the Public Schools, the Stay in School initiative
5. Using survey tools to gauge effectiveness and gather feedback. 413families offers the Library the ability to reach a local audience in a way that we could not achieve on our own.

413families began in January 2016 and now has 684 parents, with more joining daily. A recent survey reported 35% of participants are “somewhat” or “extremely” likely to recommend 413families; 64 percent of respondents already recommended it, indicating that parents find 413families to be valuable. The texts motivate parents to action: one week we asked parents to read with their child and tell us the book title. Within an hour, we had 160+ parents who followed through! In the future, we'd like to gather data on whether parents follow up on the texted events/tips, and whether the texts positively influence parent behavior.