The End of Project Read With Me

Another fiscal year for the Riverside County Library has just closed with several key advances in the system this year.  The new Highgrove Library was opened and RCLS staff continued to produce significant new programming.  Unfortunately, however, we must also note the end of one of the most successful and important projects in the recent history of the library system. 
 
June 30 marked the end of Project Read with Me, an early-childhood education program that has been in place since 2002. In that time, this program has exposed thousands of children to books and reading in the highly formative years 0 to age 5. The project began with only one and a half staff and over the years grew to nine full-time employees. But in that time, the project always remained true to its original vision, to help ensure that pre-school children had the exposure to books and reading they need to succeed in school and later life. The program was based on the premise—supported by research—that when children that enter school having read and been read to, they will succeed more quickly in school. Project Read with Me provided beautiful books in attractive book bags to child-care centers in the more economically challenged areas of Riverside County. The program also sent staff out to read to the children and provided for parent trainings to instill in parents the importance of incorporating books and reading into the life of the family. 
 
Project Read with Me was funded for 9 years with a generous grant from the Riverside County Children and Families Commission, or First 5 Riverside, which derives its authorization and funding from Proposition 10, a tax on tobacco approved by voters over a decade ago because the public felt that early childhood health and education are important. But those were different times and in the current economic crisis, these funds are being “borrowed” to fund other parts of government. Hence, Riverside First 5 lost a significant amount of funding and Project Read with Me was one project among many that lost funding.
 
But it was a good run and we believe that the children who were lucky enough to be served by the highly dedicated staff of Project Read With Me will certainly lead more successful, productive and fulfilled lives due to their exposure to the effects of books and reading at an early age. We are very grateful to First 5 Riverside for the funding they provided over the years for this program and to the staff of the program who carried it forward with a passion for and profound belief in the power of books to change lives.