NESPELEM, Wash. — Reach Out and Read nonprofit has received a grant that will help them buy and distribute thousands of children’s books to medical clinics on tribal and native sites nationwide.
The Indian Health Service (IHS) awarded $200,000 to Reach Out and Read to purchase more than 31,000 inclusive, diverse children’s books that represent the lives of indigenous families. These will be distributed across 45 IHS clinics nationwide and are free of charge!
“It’s always exciting to see a child’s face light up when they receive a book at their appointment and immediately engage to read with their families,” said Dr. Tina Pattara-Lau, Maternal Child Health Consultant, IHS. “Thanks to Reach Out and Read, we have books available for families at IHS sites across the country, including Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and South Dakota.”
Reach Out and Read doesn’t only provide books, they also provide guidance to parents and caregivers about how reading with children builds important family bonds.
This nonprofit serves 212 tribal sites nationwide, including four IHS sites across the state of Washington. They work hand in hand with publishers who specialize in Indigenous writers and illustrators. This helps children at tribal clinics see themselves reflected in books that feature Indigenous characters and are written in half a dozen different native languages.
“Reach Out and Read gives our patients access to books they often can’t afford,” said Candi Ives, an RN at Colville Indian Health Center in Nespelem, Washington.
Reach Out and Read strives to bring early literacy resources to young children to help improves their language, listening skills and love for reading.
A State of American Indian and Alaska Native Children and Families Report outlines how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include aspects of their environment can undermine their sense of safety, stability and bonding. Data indicates that American Indian/Alaska Native children experience a disparate number of ACEs which link to poor physical, mental and behavioral health.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement in 2021 that recommends a public health framework that includes support of positive parenting styles, developmentally appropriate play and shared reading. This is what Reach Out and Read emphasize on a daily basis.
Reach Out and Read have routine well-child visits from birth to five-years-old. During visits they give families books to read and discuss with parents how to use those books to engage with their infant or young child.
This approach is said to help strengthen parent-child relationships but also helps promote healthy brain development and furthering language acquisition.
“Reach Out and Read’s model works best when it is integrated into systems that support the child and the entire family, like the Indian Health Service,” said Marty Martinez, CEO of Reach Out and Read. “What happens in the first few years creates the foundation of a child’s life. We’re excited to work with IHS and Indigenous families during those important first years, helping build strong relationships, supporting Native heritage, and increasing equity.”
