State Superintendent to fund Imagination Library of Washington amid budget cuts

Washington's State Superintendent Chris Reykdal announced that his agency will fund the Imagination Library for one more year despite a $12 billion state budget shortfall that eliminated public funding. This early literacy program, founded by Dolly Parton, provides free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five, and currently serves 120,000 kids statewide. Each book costs $2. 60 to distribute, funded by local partners and the state, the latter of which was cut during the recent legislative session. Reykdal highlighted the critical need for early learning opportunities, asserting that such cuts could detrimentally affect Washington's youngest residents.

He intends to seek permanent funding from the Legislature in the upcoming session. Brooke Fisher-Clark, executive director of the Imagination Library of Washington, praised the decision and noted the program's positive influence on children's learning and kindergarten readiness. The program also offers a bilingual option for families, allowing books in both English and Spanish. Families can enroll via the program's website, imaginationlibrarywashington. org.