Reach Out and Read Alabama is announcing more money will go directly toward helping families across the state. The organization is an affiliate of the national nonprofit, Reach Out and Read, which promotes early childhood literacy and healthy early relationships.
Of the new investment of $350,000 into communities nationwide, $15,000 will be used for sites in Alabama. This allocation, which stems from a historic donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, will fund 14 local projects, allowing Reach Out and Read Affiliates to give even more children a better start to life.
The $15,000 allocated to Reach Out and Read Alabama will help existing clinics and support expansion efforts. In in FY23, Reach Out and Read Alabama served 81,618 children at more than 163,000 well-child visits. An estimated 128,504 books were distributed.
Pairing this grant with matching funds from the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, the nonprofit will hire a Program Manager.
“This is a game changer for Reach Out and Read Alabama,” said Reach Out and Read Statewide Coordinator Amy Crosby in a statement. “By hiring a program manager to join our team, we will increase our capacity to meet the needs of our clinicians and expand our reach to meet the needs of Alabama’s children.”
The nonprofit explains each Reach Out and Read Affiliate plays a critical role in empowering families and children from birth to age five. These new projects will not only strengthen the work Affiliates are already doing, but they will also grow the program in several regions, furthering the reach of childhood development and literacy.
This funding is the second major allocation from the $8 million donation to Reach Out and Read by Scott in 2023. In January, $400,000 was distributed to 10 Affiliates.
The new projects aimed at improving quality and increasing capacity include:
- Alabama: Expanding capacity, program support, and quality; $15,000
- Florida: Growing with quality across the state; $25,000
- Inland Empire: Promoting brand awareness; $15,000
- Minnesota: Promoting brand awareness; $27,500
- Orange County: Investing in personnel and enhancing fundraising efforts; $15,000
- San Diego: Centering communities through partnership development; $27,500
- Texas: Sustainability and clinic support; $25,000
Across all 50 states, Reach Out and Read and its Affiliates are working to revolutionize pediatric care and offering crucial resources to help families lay strong foundations for their young children, according to the organization. Using Scott’s transformative gift to invest in local communities is part of Reach Out and Read’s long-term strategy to grow with quality nationwide.
In FY23, Reach Out and Read served more than 4.4 million children and provided 7.1 million free books across 8.8 million well-child visits. More than two-thirds of the children served are from low-income families. Recent research in a peer-reviewed study published in Academic Pediatrics confirms the program's effectiveness in increasing the frequency of parental reading.
To learn more about Reach Out and Read and the programs offered, click here.
