The first five years only happens once.
Let's make them count for every child in Ohio.
Reach Out and Read Ohio
Reach Out and Read Ohio
Connection before intervention.
That’s the difference.
Reach Out and Read Ohio meets families during trusted pediatric visits — helping children arrive at school healthy, confident, and ready to learn.
What this means for Ohio:
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- More families reading together
- Stronger early language development
- Equitable statewide reach across ZIP codes and income levels
- Greater emotional resilience and parent-child connection
- Stronger clinician-family relationships
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Every visit. Every book. Every shared story
helps build a stronger Ohio.
174,748
Children Served
Children Served
349,496
Well-Child Visits
Well-Child Visits
303,057
Books Distributed
Books Distributed
Annual data for 2025
“When we give a Reach Out and Read book to a family, we observe how a child and parent engage — helping us assess development and strengthen the parent-child relationship.”
Sini James, MD
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
GIVE
Your support turns routine pediatric visits into moments of connection and learning — placing books in children’s hands and guidance in parents’ hearts.
SUPPORT
Be part of the human connection at the center of our work. Partners help amplify our mission, engage communities, and champion the power of reading together.
GET IN TOUCH
Join clinicians, health care systems, community organizations, and businesses working together to expand access and build stronger futures for Ohio’s children.
Ohio’s parents want the best for their children — but many don’t have the tools, confidence, or access to early learning support.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Ohio’s youngest children are falling behind — and the window to act is short.
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- 80% of a child’s brain is formed between birth and age 3.
- 62% of Ohio children are not kindergarten-ready.
- Fewer than half of parents read daily with their babies.
- The first five years shape language, learning, and emotional regulation for life
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Without early support, small gaps become lifelong barriers.
HOW IT WORKS
From birth to age 5:
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- Guided by clinicians
Parents receive coaching on language, bonding, and brain development. - Books at every visit
Every child receives a free, developmentally appropriate book. - Reading together at home
Families build habits that strengthen connection and early learning.
- Guided by clinicians
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Want to hear from an expert? Watch national board member and pediatrician Dr. Ruby Dey break down how Reach Out and Read works — and why it matters for every child and family we serve.
Reach Out and Read Ohio brings books, guidance, and connections into pediatric visits so families can build language, learning, and strong relationships from the very start.
Stay Connected With Us
MEET THE TEAM
Steven Lake
Executive Director
Welcome to Steven M. Lake, EdD, CRFE, who has stepped into the role of Founding Executive Director of Reach Out and Read Ohio, leading statewide efforts to promote early literacy and strengthen parent-child bonds through pediatric care. Steven is a visionary leader, philanthropic strategist, and champion of community empowerment with over two decades of transformative impact in the nonprofit and education sectors.
As the Founder and Principal of Vanguard Strategy, Steven has provided strategic consulting to empower nonprofits and foundations with innovative solutions that amplify their missions and drive sustainable growth. Previously, as the Founding Executive Director of Thrive Scholars Northeast Ohio, he spearheaded the regional expansion of this national college access and success organization, forging partnerships with corporations, foundations, and individuals to support high-achieving students of color in their pursuit of higher education and impactful careers.
An accomplished scholar-practitioner, Steven holds a doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Communication from Northeastern University and is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE). He is recognized for forging impactful collaborations, driving innovative solutions, and delivering measurable results.
Steven serves on the boards of the Near West Intergenerational School, PolicyBridge, and Starting Point, reflecting his commitment to fostering inclusive and equitable communities. Guided by a belief in the power of mission-driven leadership, Steven continues to inspire change, elevate organizational excellence, and build a future where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.
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Lori LeGendre
Program Manager
Lori joined Reach Out and Read in 2000 in Northwest Ohio, expanding regional presence and joined the Ohio affiliate team in 2025 as a program manager providing support and promoting program fidelity to sites around Ohio.
Lori has worked in health-based parenting/early childhood programming for 40 years including serving children and families as a pediatric in-patient child life therapist, NICU service coordinator, perinatal coach and teen parenting and home visiting educator. Partnering and Parent Education are her two favorite “P’s”, and she believes that in addition to focusing on early childhood development, we need to focus on early childhood parenting and engagement to make an impact. A former Michigander, Lori graduated from Central Michigan University with a dual degree in child development and child psychology.
Off the clock, you’ll find Lori outside! She enjoys outdoor fitness, flower and vegetable gardening, and serving on the board of a local non-profit art and nature education center. When traveling she makes a point to check out local libraries, parks and specialty grocery stores. Lori and her husband have three adult children, one adorably awkward corgi-beagle mix and two grand pups.
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Rebekah Dorman, PhD
Strategic Consultant
Dr. Rebekah Dorman is a Developmental Psychologist who has been working on behalf of children and families for the past 40 years. Her positions have spanned the academic, nonprofit, philanthropic, and government sectors and always included a special focus on families at risk. She is a cum laude graduate of Brandeis University and received her doctorate from Cornell.
During her seventeen-year tenure at Applewood Centers in Cleveland, she served as Vice President and led the Division of Family and Child Development, which included home visiting, childcare, early childhood mental, foster care and adoption. In 2003 she was awarded the Building Bridges Award by the Help Me Grow Collaborative.
As Senior Program Director at United Way of Greater Cleveland, she oversaw United Way’s multimillion dollar investment in programs serving children and families and was selected as an “emerging woman leader” in the national United Way system in 2005.
From 2009 until June 2022, she was the Director of the Cuyahoga County Office of Early Childhood and Invest in Children, a nationally recognized public/private partnership. In this role she oversaw the county early childhood system and led the community’s efforts in programming, advocacy and public awareness focused on young children and their families.
At the statewide level, she served by Gubernatorial appointment on Ohio’s Early Childhood Advisory Council for 13 years and is a board member of Groundwork Ohio, an organization which advances research-proven policies that result in public investment in Ohio’s children ages 0-5.
Dr. Dorman has been an adjunct faculty member in the Psychology Department at Cleveland State University and is the author of two books: “Preventing Burnout in Your Staff and Yourself: A Survival Guide for Human Services Supervisors” and “Planning, Funding, and Implementing A Child Abuse Prevention Project.”
Upon her retirement from government in 2022, Dr. Dorman formed her own consulting practice, Kadima Consulting, LLC. She has been the Ohio Strategic Consultant for Reach Out and Read since September 2023.
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Steven Lake
Executive Director
Lori LeGendre
Program Manager
Rebekah Dorman, PhD
Strategic Consultant
OUR BOARD OF ADVISORS
Tiana Rollinson Henry
Senior Manager of Community Partnerships, WCPO 9
Tiana Rollinson Henry is an award winning journalist and community leader dedicated to empowering children, women, and families across the Tri State. As Senior Manager of Community Partnerships at WCPO 9, she oversees philanthropic outreach, corporate partnerships, and signature initiatives such as Toy Team 9, Hope to Dream, and collaborations with the FC Cincinnati Foundation. She also contributes to the production of WCPO 9’s Finding Solutions and Let’s Talk series and serves as host and executive producer of A New Day, where she shines a light on often overlooked topics in the community.
Her career includes leadership roles as Managing Editor of The Cincinnati Herald, hosting a morning radio show on 1480 WCIN, and directing two literacy programs at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital—Reach Out and Read and the Ohio Imagination Library. In 2021, she co authored a study on kindergarten readiness that was recognized as the Most Popular Published Article in the Pediatrics medical journal.
Tiana’s honors include the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty Under 40, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award, and recognition from Venue Magazine, St. Vincent de Paul, Child Focus, and the Society of Professional Journalists. She is a member of The Links, Incorporated; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; the National Association of Black Journalists; and the Ida B. Wells Society of Investigative Reporting. She serves on multiple boards and committees statewide.
Tiana holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Wright State University and a Master of Education from the American College of Education.
She cherishes time with her husband, Dr. Sean Mandell Henry, and their daughter.
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Becky Ruppert McMahon
President and CEO, Cleveland Leadership Center
Becky joined the Cleveland Leadership Center as President and CEO in July 2024. She leads the civic education, leadership development and community engagement organization in fulfilling its mission to advance a community of leaders to build a Greater Cleveland. As a proud member of Leadership Cleveland 2018 and Cleveland Bridge Builders 2008, Becky strives each day to fulfill her personal mission to live a life rooted in meaningful relationships, purpose and a passion for the possibilities of tomorrow.
Before joining CLC, Becky spent a decade as CEO for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, a professional association for lawyers and business professionals dedicated to promoting the rule of law and the legal profession. She also held positions as General Counsel for Cuyahoga Community College, Deputy General Counsel for KeyBank National Association, and a litigation associate with Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff.
In addition to her passion for the legal industry, Becky is committed to board service. Becky serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for First Federal Lakewood, the largest independent depositor-owned bank headquartered in Ohio with assets of $3 billion; and she is a founding Director of First Mutual Holding Co., a member-owned holding company created to serve a singular mission: to help mutual banks serve their communities and prosper in today’s financial climate. She has also served on several nonprofit boards including most recently the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital Foundation, Lake Ridge Academy, and the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
Becky is a graduate of both Smith College and The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
Beyond her professional commitments, Becky spends as much time as possible outdoors, with her daughter, Natalie, a student at Penn State University, and their Mini Aussie, Beatrice.
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Marc Driscoll
Education Program Manager, Ohio Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics
Marc oversees the Preventive Health Program, Put a Lid on It Helmet Safety Program, and serves as a member of the Store It Safe team. Marc is a former teacher from the Springboro Schools system in Ohio where he taught sixth and seventh grade English and Social Studies. Marc received his Masters in Education from the University of Toledo.
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Greg Szumlas, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Greg Szumlas, MD, is an attending physician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where he works in the Pediatric Primary Care Center. He serves as medical director of the hospital’s Reach Out and Read program, the Greater Cincinnati Reach Out and Read Coalition, and the Hamilton County Affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio. He is also an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
His areas of special interest are early childhood literacy and kindergarten readiness. He participates in research and quality improvement projects to increase reading at home and improve kindergarten readiness.
Dr. Szumlas has been part of Cincinnati Children’s for over 30 years. Before moving to Cincinnati, he completed his pediatric residency training at Vanderbilt University and attended medical school at the University of Iowa.
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Tiana Rollinson Henry
Senior Manager of Community Partnerships, WCPO 9
Becky Ruppert McMahon
President and CEO, Cleveland Leadership Center
Marc Driscoll
Education Program Manager, Ohio Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics
Greg Szumlas, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
“At a recent well visit I presented an infant with a book while discussing early literacy. The mom said, ‘You gave this book to our son and he reads it to the baby all the time.’ That small action years ago created a cascade of learning now passed to the next generation.”
– Kimberly Mead
Cleveland Clinic Children’s
Cleveland Clinic Children’s