Dolly Parton received a warm welcome in Kansas City on August 27 as she celebrated the Missouri statewide expansion of her Imagination Library. Her father, who didn’t know how to read or write, influenced the idea for her library. The inspiration sparked the Imagination Library, which provided families the change to receive a book each month from when kids are born to when they turn 5 years old and start school.
“They’re going to grab somebody in their house, whether it be a brother, sister, and it instills a love for reading and family as well,” Parton said. Governor Mike Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson also attended to show their support. Gov. Parson shared with the crowd how the state was able to fund the program and the impact it’s having on kids’ lives.
Since its launch 29 years ago, the program has gifted over 200 million books. In November, Missouri became the 14th state to make the Imagination Library available to every child age 5 and under in every ZIP code — and the first to allocate state funding to help cover the distribution costs.
Families are enclosed to sign their child up today! https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability
