Clinic Programs in 2023

• 64 Chicago sites
• 150 Illinois sites

Families Served by Reach Out & Read in 2023

• Over 150,000 new books were distributed during well-child visits, and families were encouraged to read aloud together daily.
• Nearly 100,000  families have Medicaid/HMO Medicaid for insurance coverage.
• About 26,000 Spanish speaking families were served by Reach Out & Read Illinois

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.