House Bill 401, Funds for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, was introduced last week by Representatives William Brisson (R-Bladen & Sampson), Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth), and Dean Arp (R-Union). It would provide $1.5 million in recurring funds from 2023-2025 to the Smart Start Network to implement Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL).
DPIL is a program that fosters a love of reading among children aged birth to five through the gift of a specially selected book delivered right to their home each month. With the support of the N.C. General Assembly, Smart Start expanded DPIL in October 2017, and it is, now, available in every county. Smart Start currently administers DPIL for approximately 50% of North Carolina’s eligible children from birth-to-age 5. Over 14 million books have been sent to children across the state.
Here in Craven County, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is in the homes of 58% children and 169,899 books have been sent to children since the Imagination Library expansion. With increased funding, we hope to grow this number,” stated Cassandra Bennett, Executive Director for Craven Smart Start.
Bennett continued, “We need to make our legislators aware of the role these books play in expanding early literacy for the young children across North Carolina and this is why we urge them to support House Bill 401.”
Our state representatives recognize the importance of an early foundation for literacy,” stated Amy Cubbage, President of the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC) that oversees the Smart Start Network. “Because of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, children are fostering a love of literacy, more parents are reading to their children, and children have access to books that they wouldn’t have been able to access.”
In North Carolina, an estimated 300,000 children receive books monthly through this program. In Craven County, 3,506 books are delivered to children and families each month. Data from a recent DPIL survey conducted by Smart Start shows that parents who participated in DPIL for any length of time reported an increase in reading to their children daily from 41% before they began receiving books to 62% after enrollment. Additionally, 45% of families reported that without DPIL, they would not have been able to purchase the types of books provided through DPIL for their children.
“Smart Start Local Partnerships work in every community to administer Imagination Library and with additional funding, the Network can work to ensure more children across the state receive books,” stated Cubbage. “Since its expansion, we have seen data that shows children are being read to more often and with enhanced reading strategies. I can’t wait to see the trend continue for even more children!”
Additional DPIL investments will help sustain and expand DPIL across North Carolina by preventing waitlists and covering increasing book, postage, and outreach activity costs—providing critical program support to provide books to more children across the state.
Cubbage continued, “At Smart Start, we are thankful for Representative Brisson’s leadership on behalf of children and their families. We appreciate his support of this bill as well as the support of Representatives Lambeth and Arp and their acknowledgment of Smart Start’s ability to effectively implement DPIL”. To find out more about Smart Start and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library partnership, and to check availability and register a child, visit smartstart.org/dolly-partons-imagination-library.
By Pinkie S. Moore