Free books about family togetherness, achieving goals, starting kindergarten and more are sent to young children locally and statewide every month — but the program is at risk due to the state’s budget deficit. Inspired by her father’s illiteracy, megastar Dolly Parton started Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library 30 years ago in Tennessee. Now, the nationwide program spans five countries. It sends children 5 and younger, who are signed up, a free book every month. In 2022, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library became a statewide program in Washington. The nonprofit Support For Early Learning and Families is the Southwest Washington affiliate, serving Clark, Skamania and Klickitat counties. “We’re always looking for ways in which we can help support the community in the early childhood field, and this just seemed like a really great fit for us as an organization,” said Debbie Ham, executive director of Support For Early Learning and Families.

Although children and families receive the books free of charge, each book costs $2.60. The state covers half of the cost, while the local affiliates fundraise the rest. Ham said enrollment varies depending on if families move, new families sign up and other factors. As of last week, she said 11,524 Southwest Washington children were set to receive their monthly book, totaling almost $15,000 each for Support For Early Learning and Families and the state to fund. The Imagination Library of Washington received $2 million from the Legislature for the 2023-2025 biennium. Former Gov. Jay Inslee’s last budget proposal in December didn’t include continuing the library’s funding into the new biennium.

The state suffers from a $15 billion budget deficit. Ham said she’s heard that nothing is concrete yet, and legislators continue to advocate for funding the state’s Imagination Library. “I know it’s hard because the state budget is really problematic,” Ham said. “But sometimes investing in things that are going to matter down the road are just super-important.” As a local affiliate, part of the nonprofit’s job is reaching out to local businesses for donations and communities to spread the word about the program. (Support For Early Learning and Families participated in the Paddy Hough Parade on March 17.)

“We have been really fortunate in the way the funds come together locally,” Ham said. “But there’s always going to be a need to do that.” She said the books help develop young children’s brains and prepare them for school. At infancy, the brain is about a quarter of the size of an average adult brain and doubles in size in the first year. The brain is nearly fully grown by age 5, according to First Things First, an organization that provides families with information and support for their young children’s development. Based on Imagination Library’s research findings and literature review, children who participated in the program experienced increased emerging literacy skills, along with positive attitudes toward reading, the motivation to read, and connections with their caregivers.

Every child who enrolls first receives “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper. “Dolly wants that to be the first book every child gets because she wants children to know not to give up on their goals,” Ham said. The month a child turns 5, “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!” by Nancy Carlson, will await them in the mail. Otherwise, the monthly book is different depending on what’s developmentally appropriate for each age group, Ham said. The Dollywood Foundation nonprofit oversees the Imagination Library, covering administrative and overhead expenses and coordinating monthly book selection, production and shipping. Other than matching the 50 percent fund appropriation, the Imagination Library of Washington fosters sustainability of local programs, develops partnerships throughout the state, and provides marketing tools to local partners.