Rock Island, IL: Babies and toddlers visiting their pediatrician at the Rock Island Community Health Care clinic now get a prescription for reading, thanks to the Reach Out and Read early literacy program and a new partnership with the Rock Island Public Library.
Community Health Care and the library kicked off their literacy partnership in March, during Read Aloud 15 Minutes Month. The national campaign encourages every parent to read aloud to every child for 15 minutes a day, every day.
The library has partnered with Community Health Care - Rock Island Medical Clinic at 2750 11th Street to support their Reach Out and Read program with a "Begin Reading Here" kit for parents and children. Each kit includes a bib or a coloring sheet and crayons, early literacy tips, and information on free Rock Island Library cards and educational services for children under six. Community Health Care will distribute the kits at well baby and well-child visits.
The Rock Island Library is also supplying children's books for the clinic's pediatric and dental office waiting rooms. Parents can take a book from or leave a book in the "Read with Max" little library, which will be replenished by the library as needed. Max Reader Mouse is the library's reading mascot.
"Getting books into the hands of children is a proven strategy for building positive feelings about books and reading," says Susan Foster, Rock Island Library director of children's services. The library had been actively searching for a Reach Out and Read partner as part of its mission to create young readers.
"We were so pleased to find that there was already a program right in our backyard," adds Foster. "Partnering with Community Health Care enables our agencies to help families raise children who are healthy and ready to learn. We look forward to working with them to support children's early learning needs, and ensure they have access to the early learning resources in their community."
"We serve all those in need to create healthier families. That means children attend school more often, our workforce and our economy is stronger, and all citizens have access to health care, despite their financial situation," says Adam Meuser, Community Health Care's Illinois operations manager.
Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization of medical providers that formed in 1989 to promote early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms. Community Health Care has partnered with the Reach Out and Read program since 2007, beginning in their Davenport office.
Pediatricians at Reach Out and Read sites prescribe books as a critical part of early childhood development, and provide advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud into well-child visits. Evidence collected by the organization shows that Reach Out and Read families read together more often and that preschoolers served by Reach Out and Read partners score three to six-months ahead of their non-Reach Out and Read peers on vocabulary tests.
Community Health Care is a federally qualified health center that serves the community from seven clinic locations in Davenport, East Moline, Moline and Rock Island. CHC has provided primary patient care for nearly 40 years, serving more than 37,000 individuals with Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance or no insurance.
Additional information about library events and services is available by visiting www.rockislandlibrary.org, following the library's Facebook and Twitter sites, or by calling 309-732-READ (7323.)
###
Founded in 1872, the Rock Island Public Library serves the area through three locations, which include the Main, 30/31 and Southwest Branches, community outreach efforts, and online opportunities that provide resources to enhance personal achievement and stimulate the imagination.
