21 July 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Dolly Parton will visit Kansas to celebrate the statewide success of her Imagination Library program at a closed event on August 14. It is hosted by the Imagination Library of Kansas.
Starting today, every child in Kansas from birth to age five can receive free books every month from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. It is made possible through increased funding provided to the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund and the Kansas Legislature. The funds supplement local and regional resources to ensure equitable opportunity across the state.
Pratt has the distinction of starting the first Imagination Library site outside Tennessee in 2005. Kansas has over 52,200 children enrolled and is celebrating the milestone of gifting more than 3.8 million books to children since 2005.
“I am pleased that we have reached this amazing milestone – being able to provide the gift of reading for children and families across Kansas,” said Gov. Laura Kelly. “We know that a child’s first five years are critical for health development and childhood literacy. By increasing access to the Imagination Library, we will be nurturing a love for reading and supporting the foundation of a child’s social-emotional, physical, and cognitive future. I urge all eligible Kansas families to sign their children up for the Imagination Library of Kansas.”
Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, Parton started her Imagination Library in 1995. Today, her program mails over 2 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month. Each child enrolled in the program receives one book per month until their fifth birthday – at no cost to families. For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com.