Plus Up and Starr Commonwealth Partner to Bring Trauma-Informed Parenting Resources to Families and Classrooms

Helping Parents and Educators Move Beyond Managing Behavior to Understanding It

Every parent has experienced it.  The meltdown that seems to come out of nowhere. The power struggle over a simple request. The frustration of trying strategy after strategy without understanding what's really driving a child's behavior.

At Plus Up, we've always believed technology can help families create healthier routines and reduce conflict at home. But we also know that meaningful, lasting behavior change requires more than technology alone. That's why Goodtimer is built on evidence-based parenting strategies and continues to evolve through partnerships with leading experts in child development and behavioral health.

That's why we're proud to announce our partnership with Starr Commonwealth, a nationally recognized leader in trauma-informed care, resilience-focused education, and child behavioral health.

Together, we're combining Goodtimer's technology with Starr's expertise to provide parents, teachers, and caregivers with practical tools that help children thrive.

A Shared Mission

Goodtimer was created to help families reduce conflict around everyday routines while teaching children responsibility, independence, and self-regulation.

Starr Commonwealth has spent more than a century helping children heal from trauma and adversity while equipping educators and caregivers with research-based strategies that build resilience and strengthen relationships.

Although our organizations come from different backgrounds, we share a common mission: Helping adults better understand children so children can reach their full potential.

That shared vision made this partnership a natural fit.

Bringing Trauma-Informed Parenting to Goodtimer

One of the most exciting parts of our partnership is the expansion of the educational resources available inside the Goodtimer mobile app.

Over the next year, Starr Commonwealth will develop a growing library of behavior-specific parenting resources designed to help families navigate some of childhood's most common challenges. These resources include:

• Practical blog-style articles
• Short educational videos
• Research-backed parenting strategies
• Actionable techniques parents can begin using immediately

Rather than simply telling parents what to do, these resources help explain why children behave the way they do, and how adults can respond in ways that strengthen relationships instead of escalating conflict.

This educational content complements Goodtimer's daily routines and behavioral tools, giving families both practical structure and expert guidance.

Understanding the "Why" Behind Behavior

The first five parenting resources are now available, and they introduce one of the foundational concepts behind Starr Commonwealth's work:

Most challenging behaviors are expressions of unmet needs, not simply "bad behavior."

When children feel overwhelmed, disconnected, anxious, hungry, tired, scared, or emotionally dysregulated, those unmet needs often show up as behaviors adults find difficult.

Instead of asking, "What's wrong with this child?" we can begin asking, "What is this child trying to communicate?"

That shift in perspective changes everything.

• Parents become more curious.
  
• Teachers become more patient.
  
• Children feel more understood.
  
• And relationships become stronger.

This philosophy aligns perfectly with Goodtimer's mission of replacing daily power struggles with calm, consistent routines and positive reinforcement.

From Home to the Classroom

Our partnership extends beyond supporting families. Last year, Starr Commonwealth purchased Goodtimer devices as part of a classroom pilot program involving Franklin County Schools in Ohio along with several other Starr partner organizations. The goal is to evaluate how Goodtimer can support classroom routines and improve behavior in educational settings. The partnership also envisioned future collaboration around classroom applications and educational content.

While we're still gathering and analyzing the formal results of the pilot, the initial feedback has been encouraging.  Educators have shared positive early experiences using Goodtimer to create more consistent classroom routines and support students who benefit from additional structure and visual cues.

We're excited to publish more detailed results once the evaluation is complete.

Why This Partnership Matters

Behavioral challenges affect every environment where children learn and grow.

• Parents are looking for practical guidance.
  
• Teachers are searching for effective classroom strategies.
  
• Schools want interventions that strengthen relationships rather than simply manage behavior.
  
• Behavioral health organizations need scalable tools that support families outside the classroom or therapy office.
  

By combining Starr Commonwealth's expertise with Goodtimer's technology, we're building something that addresses these needs in a practical, accessible way.

Technology alone isn't the answer. Content alone isn't the answer. But together, they become a powerful combination.

Built on More Than Technology

This partnership isn't just about adding videos to an app. It's about making decades of research and clinical experience available to families in the moments they need it most.

• Whether a parent is dealing with bedtime struggles...
  
• A teacher is trying to improve classroom transitions...
  
• Or a caregiver is supporting a child experiencing emotional dysregulation...
  

...Our goal is to provide both the structure and the understanding needed to respond with confidence.

Explore the First Resources

The first five parenting resources are available today. You'll find them:

• Inside the Goodtimer mobile app for IOS and Andriod
• On the Goodtimer News page
• On the Goodtimer YouTube channel

We encourage parents, educators, and caregivers to explore these resources and discover practical, trauma-informed strategies that can make everyday challenges a little easier.

More articles and videos will continue to be released throughout the year as our partnership grows.

Looking Ahead

We're incredibly grateful to the team at Starr Commonwealth for sharing their expertise and partnering with us on this important mission.

This is only the beginning.

As our collaboration continues, we look forward to expanding the Goodtimer resource library, sharing the results of our classroom pilot programs, and working with additional schools, healthcare providers, behavioral health organizations, and community partners who are committed to helping children succeed.

Together, we're building more than a product.  We're building a community dedicated to helping every child feel understood, supported, and empowered to thrive.

About the Partnership

The Plus Up–Starr Commonwealth partnership combines Goodtimer's behavior support technology with Starr Commonwealth's nationally recognized expertise in trauma-informed care and resilience-focused education. The collaboration includes classroom pilot programs, ongoing development of parenting resources, and a long-term commitment to helping parents, educators, and caregivers better understand and support children experiencing challenging behaviors. The original vision included integrating trauma-informed educational content into the Goodtimer platform, regular collaboration on product improvements, and expanding resources for families and schools worldwide.