Book Babies
What is Book Babies?
Beginning when a baby is born, Book Babies partners with families of Medicaid-eligible children to provide resources, skills, and support to optimize their child's early language and literacy skills. An evidence-informed literacy coaching partnership, Book Babies begins when a baby is born and is sustained over five years. Book Babies fosters early relational health and provides families with the information and resources they need to develop the foundation for their children’s school readiness and school success.
Book Babies provides quarterly literacy coaching visits, 100+ age-appropriate and language-appropriate brand new books, and a host of additional supports through Pre-K and kindergarten enrollment.
On this Page
Why Book Babies Matters
• 80% of all brain development occurs in the first three years of life. [1]
•Reading regularly with children from birth stimulates patterns of brain development and strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical time in a child's life. [2]
•The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents read to their children from birth. [3]
How Book Babies Works
Literacy Coaching
Quarterly home literacy coaching sessions
Book Babies literacy coaches visit families four times a year, modeling dialogic reading and sharing simple ways to build early literacy skills through singing, rhyming, and play. Starting at age two and a half, families also receive literacy kits and tip sheets. Coaches help parents set goals that fit their child's stage of development, and families can opt in to text messages between visits. The focus is on shared reading, daily routines, and the "serve and return" moments between parent and child that build a growing brain.
Book Provision
100 children's books by kindergarten
At every quarterly visit, each Book Baby receives five age-appropriate, culturally relevant books, plus a reading tip sheet for at least one of them. That's 20 books a year and 100 books by kindergarten: a real home library, with books for the whole family. Every book reinforces what parents already are: their child's first teachers.
Bridge from Home to School
Transitioning to Pre-K, K, and beyond
As children near school age, our Bridge to School Coordinator helps families explore PreK options, hosts kindergarten info sessions, and walks parents through the kindergarten application process. Families also receive a Ready for School Guide. Parents step into the school system with confidence, ready to speak up for their child and connect with new teachers.
Parent-to-Parent Networking
Connecting with and supporting each other
Book Babies is also a community. Families come together at an annual celebration, graduation, community events, and parent training opportunities. These gatherings build friendships, open doors to leadership, and grow parents' confidence as advocates for their children.
History of Book Babies
Book Babies launched in Durham County in 2013. In May 2018, our inaugural class of Book Babies graduated from the program, ready and eager to take kindergarten by storm!
Also in 2018, Book Babies began providing home visiting support to families in Forsyth County. And in 2024 the program began partnering with families in Wake County.
Enroll Your Newborn
If you have a newborn that is Medicaid eligible, younger than 16 weeks, and lives in Durham or Forsyth County, you might be able to enroll your baby!
If you have any trouble with the form below, please email us at bb@bookharvest.org or call/text us at 919-907-0998. Thank you! *Please note that spaces are limited. Enrollment is on a first come, first served basis.*
What you and your baby can expect:
Literacy Coaching
Quarterly literacy coaching sessions starting from the time your child is born, all the way to age 5.
Learning Opportunities & Celebrations
Exclusive Book Babies celebrations and gatherings; connections to community resources; and family networking opportunities.
Home Library of New Books
100+ free, brand new, age-appropriate, culturally inclusive books to equip you for every step of your baby's development.
Thank you to our Book Babies funders: Mebane Foundation, Bastian Family Charitable Foundation, Durham's Partnership for Children: Smart Start, Wake County Smart Start, BioMerieux