Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Smart Start and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library are working together to get books into the hands of North Carolina’s youngest children
In 2017, North Carolina’s state lawmakers included $3.5 million in the first year and $7 million in the second year of the state budget for Smart Start to administer Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library across North Carolina.
The Smart Start network, made up of 75 local partnerships that serve our state’s communities, is signing up families across NC for Imagination Library which is a book gifting program for children from birth to age five. Together, we are working to ensure children develop a love of reading early on.
Reach Out and Read
Provides books to physicians, who share these with children at each well-child visit. Families are thus given a “prescription” to read to their children, laying the essential groundwork for later success with reading and literacy activities. This activity is provided by Lisa Edwards, our contracted Reach Out & Read Program Coordinator.
