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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.

A child participating in the Imprints Cares Book Baby program
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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. 

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During home visits, Imprints Cares staff:

  • Deliver new, age-appropriate books to the Book Baby

  • Give gently used books to parents and siblings in the family

  • Model interactive reading practices with children

  • Provide materials on language and literacy development

  • Support parents with setting up a literacy-rich home environment

a mother and her child participating the Imprints Cares Book Babies program
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Book Babies Randomized Control Study 2021

Last year Book Babies served 141 children through 209 home visits during which 2,227 books were delivered. 100% of parents reported being very satisfied with the program.

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"This program gives us books and information to help our children, and the home visitors remind us to read and put into practice the tools and tips. When we sit down to read now, my daughter stops on every page, points to the words and tells me, “Here is where it says that.” Wherever we go, she is pointing to words and asking me what they say. I am certain that this awareness has come from the time we have spent reading with her."

– Leticia B., mom of 3-year-old Book Baby
a father and child participating the Imprints Cares Book Babies program
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Book Babies FAQs

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Make a Book Babies Referral

Refer your family or a family you know to Book Babies.

Support Book Babies

Click on a button below to learn about how you can support Book Babies.

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