Dayton Children’s establishes the Imagination Library of Montgomery County Fund
created in honor of Ohio Governor Mike and First Lady Fran DeWine, champions of the program which provides free books to thousands of local children
Dayton Children’s Hospital announced the creation of the Imagination Library of Montgomery County fund, in honor of Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine.
This effort creates a sustained source of funding for the local cost of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program in Montgomery County, helping ensure that thousands of young children will continue receiving a personalized, age-appropriate book for free each month, while building strong foundations for learning and lifelong health.
“This investment reflects our commitment to improving the health and well-being of children beyond the walls of our hospital,” says Debbie Feldman president and CEO of Dayton Children’s Hospital. “By helping families build strong reading habits early, we are investing in healthier futures, stronger educational outcomes and a more resilient community.”
Since becoming the Montgomery County local partner of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in 2019, Dayton Children’s has enrolled nearly 49,000 children. Through the program, children from birth to age five receive a free, age-appropriate book mailed directly to their home each month. That equates to more than a million new books in the hands of children living in Montgomery County because of this program.
why this fund matters
Research shows that early literacy plays a critical role in child development and long-term success:
- Approximately 90% of brain development occurs before age five.
- Nearly one in three parents surveyed in Dayton Children’s Community Health Needs Assessment identified child development, including language and reading skills, as a top concern.
- In 2024, only about one in three children in Montgomery County demonstrated readiness for kindergarten.
“This investment is about building a stronger future for our children and our community,” said David Taylor, member of the Dayton Children’s Board of Trustees and superintendent and CEO of Dayton Early College Academy. “Every child deserves to walk into their first day of school confident and ready to learn. This early investment helps put children on a path toward success in school and beyond.”
local impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Since 2019, the program has made a measurable impact across Montgomery County:
- Approximately 21,000 children are currently enrolled, representing 69% of the county’s eligible population (birth to age five).
- Nearly 49,000 children have been served since 2019.
- Strong participation in communities where access to books has historically been limited.
- Research conducted by the University of Dayton found that children enrolled in the program are read to more frequently at home and demonstrate stronger kindergarten readiness.
champions honored
Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine have long been champions of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
First Lady DeWine established the program in Ohio in 2019 in conjunction with The Dollywood Foundation. Since then, more than 26.8 million books have been gifted to children statewide.
“We are deeply honored to be part of this special announcement by Dayton Children’s, but what means even more is what this new fund represents,” said First Lady DeWine. “It will help make sure that children across Montgomery County continue experiencing the excitement of finding a new book in their mailbox each month. Sustainable local support like this is exactly what we hope to see in communities across Ohio because it helps ensure Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will continue changing children’s lives for years to come.”
“Fran has made it her mission to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library into every corner of our state so we can get books into the hands of Ohio’s youngest children and let them develop a love of reading from an early age,” said Governor DeWine. “Reading is the key to success in school and in life, and this program puts children on the pathway to reaching their full potential. We are grateful to Dayton Children’s for creating this fund so Montgomery County families can continue benefitting from the Imagination Library.”
The new fund helps ensure the program remains available to Montgomery County families for generations to come, providing a sustainable funding source as participation continues to grow.
Families with children from birth to age five can enroll at Ohio’s Imagination Library.
contact us
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