Empowering Children Through Reading
Reach out and Read
Intermountain Healthcare is currently expanding its connection to Reach Out and Read by increasing the number of clinics participating in the program. The focus is particularly centered on helping families with limited resources get access to children’s books as well as teaching parents and caregivers how to engage in nurturing activities with their children.
Funding for the program comes from contributions by medical providers for their own clinics as well as charitable contributions from donors like you!
Many of us have magical memories connected to children’s books. They touch our imaginations and often the relationships we value most. These experiences, along with a growing body of research, send a clear message: reading books to children changes lives, both the lives of children and the lives of those reading to them.
Parents who use the program are much more likely to read to their children and report that reading to their children is one of their most valued activities. Importantly, these findings are strongest for families living in poverty. In addition, regular nurturing activities such as reading to children build resiliency, or the ability for children to overcome challenging life experiences such as poverty, neglect and exposure to violence. In summary, Reach Out and Read is an important part of empowering children to live the healthiest lives possible.