Reach Out and Read Midwest
Reach Out and Read Midwest

Reach Out and Read Midwest, serving the children of Nebraska and Iowa

By incorporating books into primary care, we strengthen parent-child relationships essential for early relational health, as encouraging parents to read aloud together with their children enhances bonding and boosts children’s language skills.

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Why Are We Different
  • We're evidence-based
  • We're scalable
  • We're cost-effective
    • > See the evidence
    120,735
    young children served
    241,469
    well-child visits
    153,922
    books distributed
    THE PROBLEM

    In Nebraska and Iowa, only 39% of infants and toddlers are read to daily (State of Babies, 2023). This early interaction is critical, as over 80% of a child’s brain develops within the first three years, shaping lifelong cognitive, social-emotional, and health outcomes. Reading with a loving caregiver promotes language skills, emotional bonding, resilience, and reduces toxic stress. Yet, many children — especially those in poverty — enter kindergarten without essential skills, impacting their future success. By ensuring all children have early support, we help close inequality gaps and build a stronger society.

    OUR SOLUTIONS AND OUTCOMES

    Reach Out and Read is uniquely positioned to address these challenges faced by children and families in Nebraska and Iowa. We’re scaling our evidence-based model to reach ALL children in these two states, particularly in under-resourced communities, as a tool to combat inequity, address social drivers of health, and alter the trajectories of children’s lives.

    Our evidence-based model and two-generational approach is connected to:

  • Increases in shared reading across parents and children: Parents who receive Reach Out and Read are more likely to read daily with their children.

  • Significant improvements to children’s language development: Including proven improvement in language development by 3-6 months and higher receptive and expressive language scores, particularly when exposed to a higher “dosage” of Reach Out and Read over their first five years.

  • Unparalleled access via pediatric primary care: More than 90% of children in the US through age 5 visit a medical provider annually.

  • Mitigation of the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs): The positive experiences promoted through Reach Out and Read offer a simple and effective strategy to facilitate a safe and supportive environment and buffer against the most harmful aspects of ACEs.

  • The potential to partner for impact: Reach Out and Read fosters early childhood development by integrating support from clinical settings and local communities to cater to the unique needs of Nebraska’s and Iowa’s children.
    • HOW DOES IT WORK?
  • Clinicians use wellness visits to educate parents about positive parent-child interactions, language skills and the developing brain.
  • Clinicians encouraged parents to read aloud with their children beginning at birth and offer age-appropriate guidance.
  • Clinicians use books as a tool to assess developmental milestones.
  • During well-child visits, clinicians provide children from birth through age 5 a free, developmentally appropriate book to keep.

    • Backed by peer-reviewed research, Reach Out and Read promotes positive interactions that foster healthy child development during the critical early years.

    “This program helps to bring a positive light to education and certainly helps to bring pleasure to a visit that at times can be frightening if vaccines are involved.”

    – Erica Tubbs, PA-C, Greater Sandhills Family Healthcare, Nebraska

    Regional impact
    FY24 NebraskaFY24 Iowa
  • 38,717 young children served
  • 77,434 well-child visits
  • 52,710 books distributed
  • 82,018 young children served
  • 164,035 well-child visits
  • 101,212 books distributed
    • OUR PARTNERS
  • Buffett Early Childhood Fund
  • Nebraska Children and Families Foundation/Nebraska Growing Readers Initiative
  • Lozier Foundation
  • Nebraska Partnership for Mental Healthcare Access In Pediatrics (NEP-MAP) supported through the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health
  • Better World Books
  • Nomi Health
  • Otto Schoitz Foundation
  • Bechtel Trusts
    • MEET THE TEAM
    Laura Holms

    Executive Director
    Contact Laura Holms

    Laura Holms is a dedicated professional with more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit world. Laura has served in many capacities including Director of Development for Catholic Charities and Iowa Health Foundation, Executive Director for Amanda the Panda Grief and Loss Center, State Director for Best Buddies Iowa and Executive Director for Urbandale Community Action Network, where she developed new programming for immigrant and refugee youth and provided school support for underserved families. Most recently, Laura served as the Director of Stewardship & Development for the Diocese of Des Moines, focusing on strengthening fundraising efforts and community engagement.

    In addition to her professional work, Laura is committed to giving back through volunteer roles with UCAN, Iowa Irish, Inc., St. Mary of Nazareth Church, and Blaze Swim Club.

    Laura lives in Urbandale, Iowa with her husband and two children and two dogs. She enjoys spending weekends at swim meets and Irish Dance competitions where her children compete, fishing, reading and enjoying the great outdoors. Laura loves traveling and exploring new places, and family game nights with her extended family in the area is always a highlight!

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    Ashleigh Burt, MD, FAAP

    Iowa Co-Medical Director

    Dr. Ashleigh Burt is a Pediatric Hospitalist at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, IA and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. In both of these roles, Dr. Burt works to educate families and fellow healthcare professionals about the importance of creating healthy relationships within families early in a child’s life, and how early reading can be used as a tool to establish these relationships. Dr. Burt has served as Co-Medical Director of Iowa’s Reach Out and Read program since 2021 during which time she has partnered with pediatric primary care providers throughout the state to promote the importance of early reading in, not only the cognitive development of children, but also in their social and emotional development. In addition to her work with ROR, Dr. Burt works with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as a member of the Council on Early Childhood and as a member of the Board of Directors for Iowa’s state AAP chapter. 

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    Dr. Amy Shriver

    Iowa Co-Medical Director

    Dr. Amy Shriver is a general pediatrician and Assistant Professor of Specialty Medicine at Des Moines University, where she is committed to advancing child health and early literacy. For over 12 years, Dr. Shriver has served as Medical Director of Iowa’s Reach Out and Read program, fostering early literacy by collaborating with pediatric providers across the state to promote shared reading and book distribution during pediatric visits. As President of the Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and an active member of the AAP Council on Early Childhood, Dr. Shriver contributed to policy, education, and advocacy work in early childhood. Dr. Shriver is a member of the task force updating the AAP Early Literacy Toolkit, slated for release in 2025, which will serve as a key resource for providers and families to enhance early literacy engagement.  

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    Kristin Christensen

    Nebraska Program Manager
    Contact Kristin Christensen

    Kristin is a Nebraska native and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both in education. Kristin taught Special Education and Academic Intervention at the elementary level in public schools for nine years. She has a deep passion for increasing literacy skills in the foundational years of kids’ lives to set them up for success.  

    Kristin also has a background in nonprofit and worked for a local advocacy organization that seeks to protect educators, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and elected officials from harassment. Kristin is excited to have joined the ROR team and leapt at the opportunity to continue to build up a network of family and literacy support in Nebraska among healthcare sites! 

    Kristin’s primary role as Program Manager is to directly support sites with implementation of the Reach Out and Read program, through frequent contact with site coordinators, visits with clinic staff, and collaboration between sites and community resources. Kristin also offers supports and assistance with clinics interested in beginning a Reach Out and Read program at their site.

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    Molly Topf

    Iowa Program Manager
    Contact Molly Topf

    “Through my work with Reach Out and Read, I have seen firsthand the impact early literacy support has on families and communities across Iowa. When parents and caregivers are empowered with the knowledge and resources to read with their young children, it fosters stronger bonds and lays the foundation for lifelong learning. We are excited to begin this new chapter as a part of Reach Out and Read Midwest and believe the additional partnerships and support will enable us to reach more children, strengthen families, and support the nurturing relationships that are built through shared reading.” — Molly Topf

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    Betty Medinger

    Strategic Consultant
    Contact Betty Medinger

    Betty Medinger, MSW retired in June 2022 after serving as Senior Vice President with Nebraska Children and Families Foundation for the prior 10 years. In this role, Betty worked with state/local, public/private partners to support cradle to career opportunities for children and families in Nebraska. Betty has 42 years of experience in human services, working in direct service and administration within state government, (Child Welfare and Economic Assistance) and nonprofits, independent consulting, and as adjunct faculty in Human Services with Southeast Community College and Social Work with Wesleyan University. In a consulting capacity, Betty is assisting Reach Out and Read establish the affiliate office serving Iowa and Nebraska.

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    Laura Holms

    Executive Director
    Contact Laura Holms

    Ashleigh Burt, MD, FAAP

    Iowa Co-Medical Director

    Dr. Amy Shriver

    Iowa Co-Medical Director

    Kristin Christensen

    Nebraska Program Manager
    Contact Kristin Christensen

    Molly Topf

    Iowa Program Manager
    Contact Molly Topf

    Betty Medinger

    Strategic Consultant
    Contact Betty Medinger