Our Next Chapter
Building on our strong foundation of more than three decades, Reach Out and Read is intentionally focusing on equitably strengthening and deepening our impact on the children, families, and communities we serve.
Working together, we will harness our expertise, build on our literacy foundations, and engage our shared networks as a catalyst for change, using the parent-child relationship as a foundational component of early success.
What happens in the first few years builds the foundation of a child’s life. These precious moments become cherished memories—but their impact on a child’s future is far more critical. Research shows that building strong foundational relationships —as we do when we read together—can overcome some of the negative effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
All children, but especially those disproportionately exposed to a high number of ACE’s, can benefit significantly from having access to books and the meaningful moments that are created by shared reading with children.
To provide them with a safe, loving environment and opportunities that will help them flourish. But being a parent or caregiver to a young child can be overwhelming, and it’s not always easy to know how best to support their growth. Read Out and Read strengthens the clinicians’ relationship with families, helps to build and maintain a trusting and honest relationship, and facilitates engaging, meaningful exchange.
By integrating Reach Out and Read into pediatrics as a standard of care we will deepen our impact as a key member in a cross-sector framework that brings together services from medical clinics and surrounding communities to offer universal and individualized support for the foundational early relationships that define the path of a young child’s life.
Reach Out and Read seeks to give all children an opportunity to reach their full potential and contribute to their community and the society, particularly those facing systemic barriers to their ability to thrive. We do this with an equity lens that places our work at the center of tackling those systemic obstacles.
Our evidence-based model promotes positive, language-rich interactions and shared reading between parents/caregivers and their young children from birth to five years old as a means of supporting the early relationships that are the foundation for healthy development and long-term health and well-being.
With a commitment to bringing our experience and the strengths of our network to partnerships with other mission-driven organizations working within and around pediatric primary care, the Reach Out and Read Next Chapter was officially launched at a Forum on November 6, 2019.