Research shows that reading to children during their preschool years helps their healthy development and gives them a major boost toward a successful education. In an effort to help more Rhode Island families build their home libraries and spark a love of reading from an early age, Senator Jack Reed is teaming up with Reach Out and Read Rhode Island (RORRI) to deliver a $50,000 federal earmark to expand the organization’s early literacy program for an additional 6,000 children who receive care at Providence Community Health Centers.

The federal earmark secured by Sen. Reed will allow RORRI, in partnership with PCHC, to diversify its collection of culturally relevant books for children and families and expand the free program to 6, 7, and 8-year-olds living in the Providence area.

At a press event on September 6, Senator Reed joined with Aimee Falso, executive director of RORRI, and Dr. Joseph Singer from PCHC to discuss how this funding will help connect thousands of new Rhode Island children with free, age-appropriate books during pediatric doctor visits.

Dr. Singer, a pediatrician at our Randall Square Health Center, shared his thoughts on the importance of reading as well as testimonials from families who have benefitted from the program. One testimonial read, “My family is a reading family so receiving these books is amazing. My kids look forward to seeing Dr. Singer because of the books. As soon as we get home, we read them all. Getting these books encourages my kids to read.”

Through its successful early childhood literacy program, RORRI partners with Rhode Island’s pediatric medical community at nearly 70 locations -- including six of our health centers -- throughout the state to provide new, developmentally appropriate books to children starting at birth. During pediatric doctor visits, parents and caregivers are given free books and encouraged to read aloud with their children.

“All of my kids have been seeing Doctor Singer for years,” said a mother whose child is cared for at Randall. “It is a good opportunity for my children to read. Now that they have expanded the program, it is even better because they are going to continue reading."

Currently, RORRI reaches 50,000 children across the state and provides more than 100,000 new books each year along with helpful information on building and improving language and literacy skills for parents and guardians.