Uchu

Uchu

Uchu

An AI-powered parenting assistant that delivers personalized guidance to underserved migrant families

Boston, MA, USA

USA

Not registered as any organization

Globally, over 43 million children are forcibly displaced due to conflict, violence, and climate shocks. Meanwhile, a much larger and less visible crisis involves children affected by internal migration—living in fragile caregiving environments due to poverty, displacement, or lack of institutional support. In many low- and middle-income countries, these children suffer from inadequate learning, emotional neglect, and disrupted development, with parents often lacking access to evidence-based parenting guidance. China offers a stark example of this global crisis. Over 70 million internal migrant children live with limited access to quality education, healthcare, and emotional support due to the hukou system, which restricts migrants' access to public services in cities. Their parents—many of whom are rural workers in precarious jobs—often face overwhelming stress and lack the knowledge and tools to support their children’s learning and well-being. Extensive research shows that migrant children consistently fall behind their urban peers in both academic achievement and mental health. Our solution addresses a critical root of intergenerational disadvantage: the parenting gap among underserved, mobile, and precariously situated families. By focusing on these caregivers, we aim to reach those most at risk of being excluded from educational progress—both in China and globally.

We have built an AI-powered parenting assistant to support migrant families in China—especially parents with limited access to parenting guidance. Our solution combines two core components: a conversational AI agent and a behavior-change system grounded in behavioral science and extensive fieldwork. Parents interact with the AI agent through their phones to ask questions about parenting, learning, or child behavior. The AI gathers key contextual information and retrieves insights from a curated knowledge base that integrates scientific research, expert guidelines, and locally relevant practices. It then generates culturally adapted, evidence-based advice in natural language. All materials are validated with parenting and education experts to ensure accuracy and relevance. Technically, our solution is built on a self-developed open-source agent framework, giving us full control to adapt the system to better serve user needs. Our innovative dual-rewriting retrieval mechanism also enables the AI to understand and respond effectively even when users struggle to clearly express their concerns. We further enhance impact through behavioral science. By applying psychological insights to uncover users’ preferences and constraints, the AI delivers personalized nudges. Features like digital commitment prompts, reminders, and goal-setting tools support not only one-time interactions, but also long-term engagement, habit formation, and emotional support.

Our solution serves migrant families in China—specifically parents raising children who have moved with them from rural areas to cities. These parents are physically present but often lack the resources to support their children’s development. Their children face significant academic challenges and poor mental health—often made worse by a lack of effective parenting or even harmful practices. Although these parents are active smartphone users, they face serious barriers when seeking parenting guidance online. Social media platforms—driven by algorithms that prioritize engagement—frequently promote extreme cases, fear-based narratives, or unverified information. For many of our users, who have limited access to professional advice, it is difficult to discern what is trustworthy or actionable. Even when sound advice is available, few parents receive the behavioral and emotional support needed to apply it consistently in daily life. Our AI-powered parenting assistant directly addresses these gaps. It interprets parents’ concerns, matches them with evidence-based guidance, and delivers it in clear language. It also uses behavioral science—through digital commitments, reminders, and goal-setting—to gently turn intention into sustained action. As a consistent companion, the assistant builds confidence, reduces stress, and helps parents support their children’s growth over time.