The first five years only happens once.
You can 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.
VOLUNTEER
Be part of the human connection at the center of our work. Volunteers help amplify our mission, engage communities, and champion the power of reading together.
PARTNER WITH US
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 see 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
“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