Clinic Programs in 2021
- 62 Chicago sites
- 125 Illinois sites
Families Served by Reach Out & Read Trained Doctors in 2021
- 95,921 new books were distributed during well-child visits, and families were encouraged to read aloud together daily.
- 85,821 families have Medicaid/HMO Medicaid for insurance coverage.
Why the Impact Matters
- Reading aloud builds loving parent-child routines and supports healthy brain development; yet, only 38% of families read to their baby every day in Illinois.
- 95% of the brain is formed in the first six years of life.
- Research shows that preschoolers with greater home reading exposure have higher activation of brain areas supporting mental imagery and narrative comprehension.