Book Babies
for families with children ages birth – 5 years
Book Babies at Imprints Cares combines literacy coaching and the delivery of age-appropriate books during home visits to help develop early language and literacy skills in young children. Participating Book Babies will each have a home library of 100+ books by the time they enter kindergarten. This program is modeled after Book Harvest in Durham, NC, and was launched by Imprints Cares in 2018.
Book Babies model + benefits
Research shows that exposure to early language and literacy experiences helps advance language development in young children while strengthening social and emotional learning and increasing the likelihood of success in school. To promote this exposure and encourage parent involvement in early literacy, the Book Babies program provides 20 new and age-appropriate books per year to enrolled children. Between home visits, Imprints Cares staff offer support to parents through literacy-based text message tips, visits to the local library, and group storytimes.
The Book Babies model is effective at reaching families where they are, providing an example for parents and coaching them in their own home environments. The program also brings parents together for shared early literacy-promoting experiences.
During home visits, Imprints Cares staff:
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Deliver new, age-appropriate books to the Book Baby
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Give gently used books to parents and siblings in the family
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Model interactive reading practices with children
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Provide materials on language and literacy development
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Support parents with setting up a literacy-rich home environment
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What is the cost of the PAT program for parents?PAT is FREE for families. The cost of the program is covered by grants and other donations, so there is no charge for the families who participate.
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Can anyone receive home visits from PAT?Families must live in Forsyth County, have a child aged 0–5 years, and be experiencing one or more family stressors identified by the PAT National Office to qualify for the program. If you have a question about eligibility for your family or a family you know, please reach out to Julia Barnes at 336-713-9742. Para español, llame a Maria Stockton al 336-713-9743
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Who makes the home visits for PAT?The Imprints Cares' staff who make the home visits are called family educators. All family educators have college degrees (many have a Master’s degree), have been thoroughly vetted with extensive background checks, and have been trained in the evidence-based PAT model. Eight (8) family educators are bilingual, and four (4) are native Spanish speakers. Altogether, our family educators have a combined 65+ years of experience at Imprints Cares. Our family educators care greatly about the families they serve and want to help them and their children succeed.
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Can families be court-ordered to participate in the PAT program?The program is voluntary for families. They can start and stop anytime they choose, until their youngest child starts kindergarten or they move out of the county.
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Does PAT help parents with home schooling?No, we are a home visiting program for families with children ages 0–5 years. We help parents get their children ready for kindergarten by providing parenting support, developmental screenings, resource connections, and parent/child activities that equip parents to be their child’s first and best teacher.
