Texting FAQs

The service is available to youth across Canada dealing with any issue, big or small. By texting CONNECT to 686868, you can chat confidentially with a trained, volunteer crisis responder for support with any issue. Our texting service is available 24/7/365. You don’t need a data plan, Internet connection or an app to use it. Remember, all conversations between young people and volunteer crisis responders are confidential.

Yes, Kids Help Phone’s texting service is completely free. There is no charge for sending or receiving texts, and the service will not use up any prepaid texts as part of an existing texting plan.

Depending on your phone carrier, the number may appear on your phone bill. However, the name Kids Help Phone or Crisis Text Line will not appear anywhere on your bill.

Our texting service is confidential but not anonymous. This means our crisis responders are not able to identify you based on your cellphone number and can only access information you choose to share with them. However, in certain circumstances a Kids Help Phone Texting Supervisor may need to access your information only when it is absolutely necessary for your safety or the safety of others. Depending on the situation, they may be required to call child protection services, an ambulance/EMS or the police. Read more about our Privacy Policy and Duty to Report. If you are concerned about your anonymity, you can still call a counsellor at 1-800-668-6868 – this service is confidential and anonymous.

All texts are answered by Kids Help Phone volunteer crisis responders who will listen to you and help take you from a hot moment to a cool calm. crisis responders are trained, dedicated volunteers from across Canada who are passionate about helping young people. Crisis responders are supervised by professional Kids Help Phone staff. Please note crisis responders are not professional counsellors. If you would like to talk with a counsellor, you can still call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

You can’t contact Kids Help Phone’s texting service via 3^rd party messaging apps at this time, but you can reach the service using any text/SMS-enabled cellphone, without the need for a data plan or Internet connection.

Kids Help Phone is committed to ensuring and protecting your privacy. We only store information that helps us understand and improve our service, but we will never reveal identifying information about individual young people. If you would like to erase any information you shared with us, you can text the word LOOFAH to 686868 and all of your data will be deleted automatically.

To start using the texting service, text CONNECT to 686868. The first few texts you receive will be automated messages from Kids Help Phone giving you more information about the service and our Privacy Policy. After that, you’ll be connected to a trained crisis responder who can talk to you about any issue, big or small. You can end a conversation with a crisis responder at any time by texting the word STOP. This means that we won’t send you any more messages unless you text again.

Each text should be no more than 160 characters, but you can send multiple texts if you need more space!

All of Kids Help Phone’s services are designed to give you the support you need in the way that’s most convenient for you. We offer a range of services to suit your needs depending on the type of support you need and the type of device you’re using. All services are open 24/7/365 and offered in English and French. You can learn more about the unique features of all of our services in the table below:

Got a question that wasn’t answered? Contact us online.

With the generous support of our leadership donors and major funding partner, Canada Health Infoway, we were able to pilot Kids Help Phone’s texting service. Canada Health Infoway strives to improve the health of Canadians by working with partners, like ourselves, to accelerate the development, adoption and effective use of digital health solutions across Canada.

No. Volunteer crisis responders use a secure online platform on a computer/laptop to text with users.

Our partner Crisis Text Line provides 24/7 texting crisis support in the United States. If you’re in the United States, you can text HOME to 741741 for support.

You need a text/SMS-enabled cellphone to use the service. If you can’t text, you can connect with one of our professional counsellors 24/7 by calling 1-800-668-6868.