Legendary musician and philanthropist Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has provided millions of free books to kids in the United States and abroad, and now all Illinois children ages 5 and under can participate in the program thanks to a new partnership with state officials.
According to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office, the new FY24 budget allocated $1.6 million to participating in the Imagination Library program, meaning that all children in the state that are age five or younger can participate free of charge.
“Imagination Libraries are already working their magic at a few dozen locations around the state, and the teamwork of my administration and the Dollywood Foundation will make it possible to bring Dolly to every doorstep,” Pritzker said in a statement.
The program was started by Parton in 1995, with books originally distributed in her home county of Sevier, Tennessee. Since then, it was replicated nationally in 2000, and it is now in place in several countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom.
All children 5 years of age or younger are eligible to participate, no matter their family’s income.
According to the Dollywood Foundation, more than two million books per month are currently distributed, with each child receiving one free book per month.
The program also uses a local affiliate program to allow communities to participate. The local affiliates register children, with an estimated cost of $2.20 per child per month.
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The Imagination Library then covers all overhead and administrative expenses, and provides a database to help support the missions.
Businesses, school districts and other programs can participate, according to the foundation’s website.
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