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Volunteer State Health Plan President Sonya Nelson said literacy has
an impact on community health, from patients being able to read their
prescriptions to understanding a conversation with their doctor.
The cost of the book program, half covered by the state, half from
the private sector, comes to $28 per child per year. Some 210,000
children in the state are currently registered in the Imagination
Library.
In Shelby County, more than 31,000 children get a book in the
mailbox each month. After graduating from the program, children possess
a 60-book personal library.
With a three-year contract for $300,000 annually, county leaders
said they hope to expand the program to include all 68,000 Shelby
County children who are eligible.
Wharton said when the program started in 2004, the books were only
finding their way into rich households. He said he has been working
with the clergy to bring books from "Germantown to Boxtown, from
Highland to Hollywood."
"Every child gets the same book at the same time," he said. "What better way to bridge racial and geographical lines?"
Sitting next to Bredesen on the floor, Wharton read "Mrs. Wishy
Washy" to his grandson, and to the 16 children from the University of
Tennessee Childcare pre-kindergarten class reigned in for the
announcement.
Bredesen said the program is important for Shelby County because of
the high number of children under 5, some 20 percent of the state's
under-5 population.
"Nobody knows how to turn a child into the perfect adult," he said. "But this cannot hurt."
Books from Birth
If you would like to register your child in the Books from Birth program, visit imaginationlibrary.com or pick up a form at your local library.
-- Sara Patterson: 529-2594 |
