House Resolution 1059
By: Representatives Dubnik of the 29th, Dempsey of the 13th, and Schofield of the 63rd
A RESOLUTION
Honoring Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read's model reflects a powerful understanding that the
pediatric exam room is one of the earliest and most trusted settings for supporting a child's
development; and
WHEREAS, during well-child visits from birth to age 5, clinicians, in partnership with Reach
Out and Read, provide families with new, age-appropriate books and model shared-reading
practices, showing how the simple act of reading together can strengthen parent-child
relationships, build early language skills, and lay the foundation for lifelong learning; and
WHEREAS, in 2025, Reach Out and Read supported 11.2 million well-child visits
nationwide, reaching 4.8 million children and distributing 9 million books to families across
the United States, including more than 187,926 children and families in Georgia; and
WHEREAS, over the past 12 months, 422,372 well child checkups were conducted across
92 counties in Georgia with pediatricians, home visitors, and providers implementing the
Reach Out and Read program; and
WHEREAS, in that same time, 307,408 new children's books were prescribed and distributed
across 222 children's hospitals, pediatric practices, and home visiting programs; and
WHEREAS, since the program began in 1996, more than 3,248,426 new children's books
have been given to young children in Georgia by pediatric providers; and
WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read has the ability to serve as the intersection of education and
healthcare, offering unprecedented access to the pediatric community, children, and families.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
the members of this body commend the efforts of Reach Out and Read to give young
children a foundation for success by incorporating books into the existing pediatric care
infrastructure and encourage families in Georgia to read aloud together each and every day.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Reach
Out and Read Georgia.