--- title: BrightLife Kids FAQs | Free coaching for California families description: >- Find answers to common questions about BrightLife Kids, including eligibility, free coaching for California kids ages 0–12, privacy, insurance, and how to get started. category: Page canonical_url: https://www.brightlife.kids/resources/FAQs/ source: BrightLife Kids license: © 2026 BrightLife Kids. All rights reserved. slug: resources/FAQs id: 7IRgqWJhwaH0g5l8KDYlTT contentType: page --- ## BrightLife Kids frequently asked questions ### Who is BrightLife Kids for? BrightLife Kids is for every California family with kids 0-12 years old. All you need is a California zip code to qualify.  ### What does coaching look like? BrightLife Kids offers live, expert coaching and 24/7 digital resources like articles, webinars, and activities that help families learn skills like communication, how to handle tough behaviors, and problem solving. Sessions and secure messaging all happen online and there’s no waitlist. Coaching teaches caregivers and kids so many helpful things including how to build patience and confidence, manage worries, express big feelings in healthy ways, and navigate complicated or confusing social situations. ### Do you need to be a US citizen? No. All you need is a California zip code to show that you live in California. ### Do you need insurance? No. No insurance needed — we won’t even ask. ### Is BrightLife Kids really free? Yes! The [state of California](https://www.calhope.org/) pays for this program 100%. That means every California family gets access for free. ### Does BrightLife Kids offer therapy? No. Therapy is not included as part of the free BrightLife Kids coaching program. Therapy is recommended for kids who have more complex challenges that are significantly impacting their day-to-day life, who require close monitoring for safety reasons, or who have been struggling for a long time. The cost of therapy may be lower if it is covered by insurance. If therapy is recommended for your child and you want to bill through insurance we can help you identify in-network resources in your area. ### What age ranges can benefit from this? We offer personalized coaching support and other helpful resources for caregivers and their kids ages 0–12. ### What if I have a child that is older than 12 years old? CalHOPE has another free program called Soluna for youth 13–25 years old. It’s all online and offers teens and young adults mental health support through their app. Please visit SolunaApp.com to get more information. ### How is BrightLife Kids different from the counselors I have at school? School counselors are a great in-person resource, especially for high-needs kids who require academic and personal support. Counselors also help every other student, every day. But sometimes issues or questions come up after school, on weekends, and over holidays. Or there might be times when you need to talk to someone about behavior, but the school counselor isn’t available. Think of BrightLife Kids — with our on-demand resources and video coaching — as an extra layer of support at no cost. We help boost the support kids and caregivers receive at school by helping with family, relationships, and overall emotional development. Caregivers and kids can get advice or information 24/7 from our library of articles, activities, and videos. They can also send a secure message to their coach anytime or schedule a private video coaching session from home, school, or wherever they are in California. ### Does BrightLife Kids work with school counselors or pediatricians? Yes. You can think of BrightLife Kids as an added layer of support for students and families. School counselors and pediatricians can refer kids and families to BrightLife Kids for behavioral health help and guidance. However, caregivers and kids do not need a formal referral — they can just sign up online! ### Does online care work well for kids or is in-person care more effective? Online care for kids has been found to be just as effective as in-person care, especially for everyday, common concerns like managing worries, sadness, anger, sleep, or tantrums. Sometimes though, in-person care is needed for situations that need an immediate or higher level of response. If a different level of care is recommended for a child, BrightLife Kids will guide members to the right care in their community. ### Does BrightLife Kids have diverse coaches? Yes. Diversity and inclusivity are important to us. Many of our coaches are bilingual in English and Spanish. They come from diverse backgrounds (just like the families they work with) and respect different cultures, traditions, and ways of life. Coaches also have experience working with LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and gender-diverse populations. BrightLife Kids is also partnered with Violet to make sure our coaches have the right training. ### Are services available in languages other than English? Yes. Many of our coaches are bilingual (English/Spanish) and we offer free, live translation services to 17 other Medi-Cal languages* for anyone who needs it. Some of our on-demand digital resources are also available in both English and Spanish. **Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Korean, Armenian, Russian, Farsi, Japanese, Arabic, Cambodian, Hindi, Hmong, Thai, Laotian, Punjabi, Mien, and Ukrainian* ### Does registration have to be completed by the parent? Yes, we ask that a parent or caregiver register their child. ### Is coaching confidential? Yes. Your privacy is a top priority. What you share in coaching stays between you and your coach, except in rare situations required by law (such as mandated reporting) or when you explicitly agree for us to share information with a signed release. All of our coaches are trained in HIPAA compliance, and we protect your data using encrypted systems and secure technology.  ### How does BrightLife Kids keep my family's personal information safe? Your family’s privacy is important to us. We protect your personal information with secure systems, encrypted connections, and trusted technology partners. We follow strict privacy laws like HIPAA. We do not — and will not — share your family’s private information with anyone who doesn’t absolutely need it to support your child’s care.  Find out more about our [Data Management commitment](https://www.brightlife.kids/data-management/). ### What are the qualifications of BrightLife Kids coaches? Coaches hold either a master’s degree in a health-related field or have a bachelor’s degree plus a coaching certification from nationally-certified coaching accreditation boards (e.g., National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching, International Coaching Federation). Our coaches have an average of seven years of experience working with kids and families in different settings including schools, community practices, and pediatric care. Our coaches receive an additional 80 hours of training before seeing families, which includes training to promote culturally responsive care for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities, as well as other important identities. Coaches also receive ongoing training throughout the year. They meet with our care leadership team regularly in support of their work with families.  Coaches have to pass a background check specific to the standards of the state where they reside. The background check includes the following components: - County Criminal Search (Last 7 Years) - Federal Criminal Search (Last 10 Years) - Global Watchlist Search - National Criminal Search (Standard) - Sex Offender Search - SSN Trace - Drug Screening (DS 5 PANEL) - Education Verification (including out-of-country history) - Employment Verification (including out-of-country history) - FACIS Search (Level 3) - International Criminal (or Adverse Media) Search - Professional License Verification (Healthcare)