Volunteers Read Donated Books to Children at Health Department

From the Will County Health Department:

The Reach Out and Read Program continues to be a major part of what goes on at the Will County Health Department Community Health Center. Children between 6 months and 5 years are encouraged to get started on reading during their Well-Check pediatric exams.

Thanks to donated books and trained volunteers who read to the children while in the waiting room, families are encouraged to promote school success by including reading aloud as part of routine pediatric care and development.

A child can be read to by a volunteer while in the waiting room, and then receive an appropriate storybook to take home after their Well-Check exam. The goal is for each child to have 10 new books by the time they are school age. This can be especially crucial for children from families that live below the poverty line, and may lack the money to supply their children with books.

“It is just exciting to watch," said Community Health Center Pediatrician Dr. Carletha Hughes. "You see children and parents interacting together. This program incorporates literacy, and encourages family bonding through reading instead of through other forms of entertainment.”

In 2013, the Community Health Center’s participation in Reach Out and Read earned them the Richard Robinson Award. Scholastic Inc became the largest distributor of children’s books under Robinson’s leadership, which began in the mid-70s.

In 2015, Read Out and Read donated over $2,100.00 to help the Community Health Center purchase over one-thousand age-appropriate storybooks to distribute to children after their exams.

If you would like to be a volunteer who reads to the children in the waiting room, please contact Thomas Edwards at 815-774-7375. Volunteer readers are needed from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Mondays through Fridays.

image of Community Health Center pediatrician Carletha Hughes, via Will County Health Department