HR 319: Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol; February 19, 2025; recognize the power of reading to young children every day; recognize

House Resolution 319

By: Representatives Schofield of the 63rd, Dubnik of the 29th, Rice of the 139th, Davis of the 87th, Scott of the 76th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing February 19, 2025, as Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol to recognize the power of reading to young children every day; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read's early literacy intervention began in 1989 at Boston Medical Center and has expanded to 50 states, serving 5.7 million families today. Georgia's affiliate office launched in 2012 and now serves 194,258 children and families in 81 counties at 208 hospitals, pediatric practices, clinics, and home visiting program sites with 108 medical sites that have applications in progress to become Reach Out and Read sites; and

WHEREAS, over 1,000 medical providers and staff have been trained in the evidence based early literacy intervention program of Reach Out and Read Georgia, offering each child an opportunity to be read to and to learn to read; and

WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read has trained 36,000 pediatricians and medical providers who prescribe reading as a daily activity during wellness checkups; and

WHEREAS, over the past 12 months, 388,516 well child checkups (engaging approximately 194,258 children and families) were conducted across Georgia with pediatricians and providers implementing the Reach Out and Read program; and

WHEREAS, in that same time, 289,422 new children's books were distributed through the program's pediatric network to children aged five years old and younger; and

WHEREAS, since the program's inception, over 2.7 million new children's books have been given to young children in Georgia by pediatric providers beginning at the very first newborn visit through a child's fifth birthday, and children in the program demonstrate a six-month developmental edge compared to children not enrolled in the program when arriving at kindergarten; and

WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read is the only early literacy intervention endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and has the most extensive body of research supporting the efficacy of the program model with 26 studies supporting its work; and

WHEREAS, pediatricians prescribe reading as a daily activity and parents take these prescriptions to heart, increasing social and emotional bonds with their children while increasing their exposure to positive interactions and creating special, meaningful moments; and

WHEREAS, positive emotional bonding between a parent and child has been demonstrated to help mitigate the damaging effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES); and

WHEREAS, pediatric offices implementing Reach Out and Read have cited an increase in wellness visit compliance during the earliest years of life, a time when most immunizations occur; 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; and

WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read Georgia will provide quality, diverse, and developmentally and linguistically appropriate books in 30 languages to medical sites across Georgia; and

WHEREAS, 1,500 medical providers and staff implement the Reach Out and Read Georgia program every day across the state, offering each child an opportunity to be read to and to learn to read; and

WHEREAS, medical providers prescribe reading at every wellness visit beginning at birth through age five.

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, encourage families in Georgia to read aloud together each and every day, and recognize February 19, 2025, as Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol. 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.