March is Raising Reader Month

The following Proclamation by Maine Governor John Baldacci was read today at the Blaine House by First Lady, Karen Baldacci making March in Maine RAISING READERS MONTH.

Proclamation

Whereas Raising Readers is celebrating its tenth year and has provided over 1.3 million books to Maine children, ages birth to five, at well-child visits with their healthcare providers,

Whereas 166,000 individual Maine children have received books provided by Raising Readers at more than 600,000 well-child visits,

Whereas if it wasn’t for Raising Readers, many Maine children would not have any children’s books in their homes,

Whereas children who are read to are more likely to have the early literacy skills they will need to succeed when they go to school,

Whereas over 1400 healthcare providers in Maine play a key role in encouraging positive brain development in children by encouraging parents to read to their child frequently starting at birth,

Whereas all 30 hospitals in which babies are born and 335 health care offices that provide well-child care and cover the entire State of Maine participate in the program,

Whereas Raising Readers is carried out through the close collaboration of MaineHealth and EMHS, the state’s largest non-profit health systems in order to reach healthcare providers all over the state,

Whereas Raising Readers is completely funded by the Libra Foundation and is the ONLY statewide initiative of its kind in the United States,

Therefore, I, John Baldacci , Governor of Maine, do hereby proclaim March 1 through March 31st as RAISING READERS MONTH.