HR1059: HR1059 Reach Out and Read Day at the state capitol; recognize

26 LC 129 0575 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.1 WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read's model reflects a powerful underst anding that the2 pediatric exam room is one of the earliest and most trusted settings for supporting a child's3 development; and4 WHEREAS, during well-child visits from birth to age 5, clinicians, in partnership with Reach5 Out and Read, provide families with new, age-appropriate books and model shared-reading6 practices, showing how the simple act of reading together can s trengthen parent-child7 relationships, build early language skills, and lay the foundation for lifelong learning; and8 WHEREAS, in 2025, Reach Out and Read supported 11.2 million wel l-child visits9 nationwide, reaching 4.8 million children and distributing 9 million books to families across10 the United States, including more than 187,926 children and families in Georgia; and11 WHEREAS, over the past 12 months, 422,372 well child checkups were conducted across12 92 counties in Georgia with pediatricians, home visitors, and p roviders implementing the13 Reach Out and Read program; and14 H. R. 1059 - 1 - 26 LC 129 0575 WHEREAS, in that same time, 307,408 new children's books were prescribed and distributed15 across 222 children's hospitals, pediatric practices, and home visiting programs; and16 WHEREAS, since the program began in 1996, more than 3,248,426 n ew children's books17 have been given to young children in Georgia by pediatric providers; and18 WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read has the ability to serve as the intersection of education and19 healthcare, offering unprecedented access to the pediatric community, children, and families.20 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that21 the members of this body commend the efforts of Reach Out and R ead to give young22 children a foundation for success by incorporating books into t he existing pediatric care23 infrastructure and encourage families in Georgia to read aloud together each and every day.24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized25 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Reach26 Out and Read Georgia.27 H. R. 1059 - 2 -