More kids to get free books in Butler County with expanding program

Thousands more Butler County kids will have the chance to get free books mailed to their homes in a coming expansion state literacy program.

Fran DeWine, wife of Governor Mike DeWine, came to one of Butler County’s top academic performing school districts – Ross Schools - on Friday to share the news about an extension of the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library (OGIL).

More than 25,000 children ages birth to fivethrough their Butler County families will be eligible to apply for the free program, which is done in partnership with recording and movie star Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library national program, which mails one free, age-appropriate book to homes each month.

“There are 25,000 kids in this county who are eligible from the time they are born until they reach five years old,” DeWine told a small crowd in the Ross High School library.

"I urge every single parent, grandparents or caregiver to go online today and register their child to participate in this game-changing initiative," said DeWine of the program's website at www.ohioimaginationlibrary.org.

Childhood reading is often described by education experts as an essential, initial gateway skill because the literacy opens all other academic areas of study. Moreover, children who have been introduced to reading are better prepared for pre-school, kindergarten and the first grade.

Middletown Community Foundation officials, who also attended the event, said they have been part of the program since 2009 and estimate they have distributed more than 300,000 to 10,000 area children, including families in Edgewood, Madison, Monroe and Franklin school systems.

Officials in the New Miami school system were also among the first locally to offer the literacy program.

“That’s is exactly how fast this program can take off once you have people in place to do it,” said Butler County United Way Vice President Krystal Tipton, whose group is also aiding in the OGIL expansion throughout the county.

DeWine said 24 of Ohio’s 88 counties are participating in the OGIL program, and due to $5 million in state funding, more area districts will soon be joining.

Margaret Baker, president and CEO of the Butler County United Way, said, “when we learned of the opportunity to become involved, we jumped as we understand the impact a program like this could have on children in their early, formative years.”

“Getting these books in the hands of families so they can spend time bonding and learning is a great start and one we are proud to take part in.”

Ohio Senator Bill Coley, R-Liberty Twp., was in attendance and praised the youth reading program as being “vital” for improving education locally and statewide.

“Getting kids interested in reading at earlier and earlier ages is just so vital if we are going to continue to improve our education system,” said Coley.

“It’s just a fantastic program and kudos to the First Lady for seizing on the program and getting it expanded throughout Ohio,” he said.

DeWine said the first book mailed to participating families is the children’s classic “The Little Engine That Could.”

“And when they turn five years old, their last book is “Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come,” she said.

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