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First 5 Monterey County launches Dolly Parton Imagination Library; 2,500 children enrolled so far
Summary
First 5 Monterey County launched the Dolly Parton Imagination Library on June 18; the program mails a free book monthly to children birth–age 5, is bilingual and has enrolled nearly 2,500 children (about 10% of a roughly 24,000 eligible population).
First 5 Monterey County on Wednesday announced the local launch of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and urged community groups to help enroll eligible families.
Rebecca Zuniga of First 5 Monterey County said the program mails one age-appropriate, high-quality book each month to children from birth until their fifth birthday at no cost to families. "Approximately 24,000 children in Monterey County can receive free books through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library," Zuniga said, and she reported that since the June 18 launch nearly 2,500 children had registered.
The rollout includes bilingual materials and outreach supplies—bookmarks, rack cards, posters and flyers—and First 5 said community organizations can order outreach materials via a QR-code order form. Registration is online via a QR code or direct link and Zuniga said families should expect the first book to arrive in about six to eight weeks after registration. "We want registration to be easy and accessible as possible," she said, noting the program has step-by-step tutorial videos in English and Spanish.
First 5 asked partners to help spread the word through social media and community outreach so more eligible families can enroll. Zuniga said the county office is processing registrations daily and sending confirmation emails to enrolled families.
