CLiF Expands Focus on Early Literacy

By Sarah Hall

As part of CLiF's ongoing commitment to expanding literacy opportunities for Vermont's youngest children, we have teamed up with the Vermont Parent Child Center Network (VPCCN) to increase access to books and resources for babies, toddlers, and their caregivers.

VPCCN is composed of 15 independent nonprofit organizations across Vermont, each offering a wide range of support and services to area families, including home visits, parent education, playgroups, and community development.

From February through June, CLiF provided VPCCN with 745 literacy kits for distribution at their sites. Each kit included a new board book, a developmental toy, and a parent resource guide highlighting the many benefits of reading to children from infancy, including accelerated language development, stronger parent-child bonds, and improved readiness for school and lifelong learning.

During this initial phase of the CLiF-VPCCN partnership, 277 families also received coaching on how to engage their infants and young children through books and stories. Feedback from participating Parent Child Centers was positive:

•  “It was a great way to begin conversations about the importance and HOW to read with very young children!”

• “We passed them out during our baby massage class and the parents loved receiving them. We have a lot of English language learners in the class, and they were happy to have a book that was easy for them to read in English to their baby.”

• “Many parents seemed very interested in being coached on how to enhance reading by using the figurine along with the book. The children loved it.”

CLiF looks forward to continued partnership with VPCCN, and plans to establish a similar collaboration to serve young families in New Hampshire.