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Books for Babies helps to instill a love for reading in children

Books for Babies is based on the philosophy that parents need support in becoming effective “first” teachers for their children.

By Lil Mack

Books for Babies is based on the philosophy that since children spend the first (and most critical) five or six years at home, parents need support in becoming effective “first” teachers.

Babies love to hear their parents’ voices. Reading a story over and over is soothing and comforting both for baby and parent.

It can take a lot of patience to get through even a short picture book with a baby, but you’ll be rewarded with a child who’s received an excellent start to literacy — and life.

And, if infants and children are read to often with joy, excitement, and closeness, they begin to associate books with happiness — and budding readers are created.

To this end the Kiwanis Books for Babies project has been giving a bag of four books to new parents since 2001.

Volunteer community partnerships are at the heart of the program with Kiwanis providing funding, the maternity nurses at Cariboo Memorial Hospital delivering the book bags to parents of newborns, and the Cariboo Regional District Library giving out an extra book when parents register at the library. The Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy coordinates the program.

Literacy supports lifelong learning, personal and cultural development, and contributes to healthy individuals and strong communities.

The earlier we start, the stronger our children become.

That’s why Books for Babies is so important and is one of our core programs.