MIAMI, FL., February 28, 2024 - The Children's Trust Book Club, proudly announces the reopening of registration for families in Miami-Dade County with children from birth up to their fifth birthday. The relaunch comes with exciting expansions in its services aimed at promoting early literacy and ensuring all children in the county are kindergarten-ready.
Ensuring children are reading at grade level by third grade is essential for their lifelong success. As of 2022, 44 percent of students in Miami-Dade were not reading on grade level. To increase literacy rates across Miami-Dade County and ensure all kids are ready for kindergarten, The Children's Trust has implemented several literacy initiatives, including The Book Club. This program is just one part of their efforts to help children begin school on day one, with the right tools and skills needed to succeed.
"We're thrilled to present the revitalized Children's Trust Book Club, marking a key milestone in our broader efforts to equip every child with the readiness for a successful start to kindergarten," said The Children's Trust President and CEO James R. Haj. "Our steadfast dedication to early literacy underscores our ongoing commitment to preparing all children within Miami-Dade County for educational success."
Since its inception in 2015, The Children’s Trust Book Club has shown remarkable growth. In 2020, it expanded its reach to include children from birth to their fifth birthday and has provided over 1.6 million free books to registered families. Due to high demand, the registration process was temporarily paused from May to September 2023, however, with The Trust’s increased investment to expand membership from 40,000 to 60,000 to offer the program to even more families in Miami-Dade.
Through the Book Club, The Children's Trust mails one free book, in English or Spanish, to all registered families each month, accompanied by educational reading guides for parents, grandparents, and caregivers to engage in shared experiences with their child. A significant aspect of the Book Club's expansion is its commitment to linguistic inclusivity. Families can select their preferred language for book titles and communication materials during registration, with options available in English and Spanish as well as special deliveries of books in Haitian Creole.
As of February 2024, the Book Club has 42,600 members, continuously increasing as parents complete registrations. Families in Miami-Dade County with children from birth to 4 and a half years old are invited to register now at www.TheChildrensTrust/BookClub. All registered families will receive their first book of the month after the registration date until their child's fifth birthday.
Media Contact:
Natalia Zea
Chief Public Policy & Community Engagement Officer, The Children’s Trust
natalia@thechildrenstrust.org