Reach Out and Read Continues Work in Middlesex County with Receipt of Grant from Middlesex United Way Women’s Initiative

Reach Out and Read, a nonprofit organization that gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together, today announced their receipt of a grant of $1,000 from Middlesex United Way Women’s Initiative. With this donation, Reach Out and Read’s five programs in Middlesex County will continue to provide new, developmentally-appropriate books and early literacy guidance during regular pediatric checkups to the 617 children and families served by Reach Out and Read in Middlesex County.

“This is the second year Middlesex United Way Women’s Initiative has provided critical program support to our Middlesex County programs, allowing pediatric medical providers at Middlesex Hospital’s Family Medicine Residency Program to enter an exam room with more than their stethoscopes--they also carry colorful, new children's books for patients to take home,” said Reach Out and Read Director of Development for Connecticut and Massachusetts, Christine Garber. “Research shows that if pediatric providers intervene in the first five years of life and partner with parents to encourage daily reading aloud, early literacy skills of a child are dramatically improved, putting them on the track for success in school and in life.”

“We are thrilled to be able to support Reach Out and Read for the second year. Their program aligns nicely with our community goals, particularly, our Childhood Development goal that parents and children have the resources they need for children's healthy development.” said Kati Hensel, Development Directeor at Middlesex United Way and staff liason for the Women’s Initiative.

“In addition to using the books to encourage reading at home, medical providers use the books to open a discussion about reading at home with parents, as well as see whether a 1-year-old patient can grasp the book and turn pages, or a 3-year-old can point to a shape on a page or identify a color,” added Garber.

Embedded within the existing healthcare system, Reach Out and Read’s model includes providing a new, age-appropriate book for each child to take home at well-child visits from 6 months through 5 years. Along with the free book for the children, medical providers offer guidance to parents about the importance of reading aloud with their children every day starting at the newborn visit. With medical providers delivering the program, Reach Out and Read is uniquely positioned to reach nearly all children and their parents as they visit their doctor. The organization focuses on children growing up in low-income families as research shows they are at the highest risk for reading failure.

At a cost of only $100 per child for the full five years, over 300 Reach Out and Read doctors and nurses distribute over 70,000 new books to nearly 40,000 children and their families annually in Connecticut, through 74 clinical locations. Nationally, the organization distributes 6.5 million books to nearly 4.6 million children and their families annually, including 1 in 5 low-income families in the U.S.

The Reach Out and Read model is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the program has one of the strongest records of research support of any primary care intervention.

For more information on Reach Out and Read in Connecticut, to get involved, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit their website at http://www.reachoutandread.org/connecticut/.

ABOUT MIDDLESEX UNITED WAY WOMEN'S INITIATIVE

The Women's Initiative celebrates the power of women to bring about positive change in their community through philanthropy and service. Their vision is to provide opportunities for women of all ages and backgrounds to invest their time, talents, and treasures to increase women's awareness of Middlesex United Way; promote and increase philanthropic giving to United Way; increase participation of women in volunteering; raise awareness of the resources that women bring to the community; and promote and recognize women's accomplishments. They focus their time and talents strengthening three different areas affecting the lives of women and children in Middlesex County: Childhood

Development - parents and children have the resources they need for children's healthy development; Empowering Women - women have the resources and support they need to make healthy choices; and Financial Stability - women of all ages have the education and resources to be independent and self-sufficient.

For more information on the Women’s Initiative, please visit their website at http://www.middlesexunitedway.org/wi.

ABOUT REACH OUT AND READ

Reach Out and Read is a nonprofit organization that gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. With unparalleled access to families with young children, Reach Out and Read medical providers give books to children at more than 10 checkups from infancy until they start school. More importantly, they encourage families to read aloud and engage with their infants, toddlers and preschoolers every day.

The effectiveness of the Reach Out and Read model is recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics in a policy statement that recommends early literacy promotion as an essential component of pediatric care. The program is both cost-effective, and evidence-based: research shows that the program results in more frequent reading at home, accelerated vocabulary and critical brain stimulation. The organization currently serves 4.6 million children, over half of whom are from low-income families.

For more information, visit reachoutandread.org.

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