Kansas Governor Laura Kelly welcomed singer-songwriter Dolly Parton to an event in Overland Park to celebrate the statewide expansion of the Imagination Library program.
Parton is an advocate of early childhood literacy, and she established the Imagination Library to provide books to children and families. The expansion of the program in Kansas was made possible by funding that was included in Governor Kelly’s budget proposal submitted this year.
Every child in Kansas is now eligible to participate in the program to receive one free, high-quality, age-appropriate book per month until their fifth birthday. That’s a total of 60 books from birth to age 5. Kansas is one of 15 states where the program is available statewide, with more states to be added this year.
Parton said that the program will inspire children across Kansas to love books and reading.
The governor appeared with Parton during an event attended by about 500 supporters of the program, and the event was hosted by the Imagination Library of Kansas. The governor declared Monday as “Imagination Library of Kansas Day.”
