Ohio’s Public Libraries Receive Grants to Help Young Families
Ten public libraries around the state have been awarded grants through the Family and Community Engagement Pilot program as part of Ohio’s Early Learning Challenge Grant. The goal of the pilot program is to engage families to ensure that children are born healthy and stay healthy, and children are ready for kindergarten. The target audience for the program includes families with children under age six who may not be already engaged with community support programs.
“Participants in family focus groups made it clear that libraries strive to make families of all backgrounds and economic levels feel comfortable and they provide high quality resources to support parents in their role as their child’s first teacher,” said Angel Rhodes, PhD, Early Childhood Education and Development Officer with the Office of Ohio Governor John Kasich. “We knew that libraries had to be a key component of this pilot in order for it to be successful.”
In Ohio, the popularity of public libraries makes them an effective place to reach young families and improve community well-being. Ohio has the highest library use per capita in the nation with more than 8.7 million library customers. The selected libraries are ready to take action by working in partnership with other community organizations (food pantries, housing agencies, etc.) to provide families with the knowledge and resources they need to support young children and get them ready for school.
“Ohio’s libraries are welcoming and active community spaces that already have the infrastructure in place to reach many families,” said Doug Evans, Executive Director, Ohio Library Council. “We are pleased that the Governor’s office recognizes that public libraries are in a unique position to interact with young families and help prepare children for school.”
