Expanding Pilot Program to More Area Headstarts

Due to cooperation of Infant and Toddler Connection/Heartland (VA) and the Education Director of HOPE Headstarts, Literacy for Tykes has been able to meet current needs of Infant and Toddlers Connection and expand to two new counties of HOPE Headstarts.

All educational and human service organizations know that the only way we are going to optimize our reach to at-risk families in these financially recessionary times is through careful thought and cooperation.

Literacy for Tykes salutes our partners in our Books for Families project for helping us reach more families with at-risk early children, in time to make a difference before kindergarten.

Parents who had difficult literacy experiences themselves are encouraged and equipped to read picture books with their children in the important formative years, 1-4 years. Having positive and enjoyable book sharing time allows both the parents and their children to discover that books can be fun.

When a child comes to the kindergarten group school experience knowing "We have fun reading books at my home", they a primed and enthusiastic to take the next steps in the lifelong progression of literacy adventures ahead of them.

As the pieces fit into place to reach now over 400 families, we are happy to salute our partner organizations including Piedmont Healthy Families; HOPE Headstarts, Infant and Toddler Connections/Heartland, also made possible in large part by grants from target.
Many community individuals and civic organizations in 3 of the 9 counties these partners serve have been backing Literacy for Tykes, hoping we could continue persevering to bring Books for Families to the most needy at-risk homes of pre-schoolers in their counties.
The most notable contributors have been in Buckingham County, Cumberland County and Prince Edward County.

Therefore Literacy for Tykes is proud to announce that HOPE HEADSTARTS is now able to distribute our Teddy Bear's Favorite Pictures books and supplemental "Enjoy Books with Children" parents tip sheets to families in those 3 counties in this current school year.

This expansion is due to the tremendous Results Reports from the Prince Edward Pilot Program, and the cooperation of our partners to allow for appropriate redistribution of available books.

Piedmont Healthy Families is continuing to make LFT books and materials available to the families it serves in 7 Heartland Virginia counties, including Buckingham, Prince Edward and Cumberland Counties. Infant and Toddler Connection is also making LFT books available to meet the literacy needs of families they serve in 7 Heartland Virgina counties , also including Buckingham, Prince Edward and Cumberland Counties.

Literacy for Tykes is currently seeking funding for 2011-2012 school year to expand "Books for Families" to all nine Heartland Virginia counties, as well as continue to meet the needs of our current partners who have a fresh group of families with each year.

To aid Literacy for Tykes to expand our BOOKS FOR FAMILIES program in 2011 please use the main website button at right side of this page. Our website www.LiteracyForTykes.com has a paypal button which allows for credit card contribution.