United Way and Dolly Parton Imagination Library supply free books to kids under five across county
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The United Way of Santa Barbara County has been our region's affiliate for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for more than a decade, and now, thanks to matching funds from the state, the application portal is accepting new enrollments for the 2024 program year.
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is an international program for families with children who receive a free book every month until they turn five which began in Dolly Parton's home county of Sevier County, Tennessee in 1995.
"You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children," explains entertainment legend and international literacy program founder Dolly Parton. "Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission. In the beginning, my hope was simply to inspire the children in my home county but here we are today with a worldwide program that gives a book a month to well over one million children."
Applications for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Santa Barbara County are open now and all families with a child under the age of five are invited to request and submit an application with the United Way at prowan@unitedwaysb.org or 805-882-0505.
More information about the program can be found here.
Here in California, SB 1183, authored by State Senator Grove and signed into law by Governor Newsom, expanded the program to all California children under the age of five as well as became the first state to offer a bilingual book option.
The bill also provided dollar-for-dollar matching funds through local non-profit facilitators, such as United Way of Santa Babara County.
"As a proud co-author SB 1138, I look forward to seeing this state investment reach all California families, nurturing their curiosity, imagination, and literacy," said State Senator Monique Limón. "This state funding will allow families on the current waitlist in Santa Barbara County, to be part of this literacy opportunity."
The United Way of Santa Barbara County has served over 3,800 children through the program, delivering 146,000 books to children across the county with the new state funding subsidizing 50 percent of the program cost since 2023 detail United Way of Santa Barbara County.
Partnerships between local school districts and United Way of Santa Barbara County, such as the Fun in the Sun summer learning program, help local families instill a love of reading during crucial early developmental years.
"The Imagination Library is an outstanding companion to United Way’s educational programs and our organization’s commitment to brighter futures for students," stated Steve Ortiz, the organization’s president and CEO. "Building stronger academic foundations for these children will always start at home. It’s an honor to partner with the Imagination Library to make sure those homes have access to the tools they need to reach important milestones and foster a true love of learning that we know will have monumental impacts on children’s success in the classroom and beyond."
