NJ Pharmaceutical & Medical Technology Industry to Deliver Books Statewide
Sen. Lautenberg and Congressman Payne Attends Newark Book Donation Event in Support of Reach Out and Read
Bridgewater, NJ, February 11, 2008 — The Pediatric Health Center, Children′s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center today received 1,000 books to disseminate to its youngest patients, thanks to New Jersey′s Pharmaceutical and Medical Technology Industry — and their trade association, the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ).
The site participates in Reach Out and Read, a national children′s literacy program in which doctors give books to infants, toddlers and preschoolers at check-ups and advise their parents about the importance of reading.
Arriving along with the 1,000 books were U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), who read to young children in support of Reach Out and Read, and Congressman Donald Payne (D-10th).
The donated books were delivered to the Newark site, 166 Lyons Ave., under a partnership between New Jersey′s pharmaceutical and medical technology companies and their trade association, the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ), with Reach Out and Read.
HINJ member companies have pledged to provide $100,000 per year for three years to support existing Reach Out and Read sites in New Jersey, expand the program to serve more at-risk children, and establish an infrastructure to help the program grow and sustain itself in New Jersey.
HINJ President Bob Franks plans to visit each of the state′s Reach Out and Read sites to deliver books.
“As a major partner of Reach Out and Read, New Jersey′s pharmaceutical and medical technology companies have made a multi-year commitment to expand and enhance the program,” Franks said. “Today, we are pleased to visit this site to show our support for this wonderful program. I am very happy to be able to present 1,000 books to the Pediatric Health Center, Children′s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Our contribution today totals $3,000 in donations — that′s 1,000 children′s books that will be distributed to Newark children ages five and younger.”
Senator Lautenberg praised the donation and said that he welcomed the opportunity to read to young patients in support of the Reach Out and Read children′s literacy program. A long-time supporter of federal funding for Reach Out and Read, the Senator is a co-sponsor of the Prescribe A Book Act (S. 1895), which would create a federal pediatric early literacy grant initiative based on the successful Reach Out and Read program.
“We want all of New Jersey′s children to know how to read so they can excel in school and beyond,” Senator Lautenberg said. “With the help of Reach Out and Read, doctors and nurses can nurture active minds by promoting reading to children and parents. I will keep fighting for the resources the program needs so our children can develop a life-long love of learning.”
U.S. Representative Donald Payne, author of the House version of the Prescribe A Book Act (H.R. 4449), also expressed his support for Reach Out and Read.
“Engendering a love of reading is one of the most important gifts that we can give to young children,” said Congressman Payne, a senior member of the House Education and Labor Committee. “As a former teacher, I have seen first-hand the wonderful transformation that books can make in the life of a child, both by providing knowledge and inspiring imagination. I congratulate the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey and Reach Out and Read on this great partnership.”
Reach Out and Read focuses on the children at greatest risk — children aged 6 months to 5 years living at or near poverty. Doctors participating in Reach Out and Read distribute carefully selected new, developmentally and culturally appropriate books – starting with board books for babies and moving on to more complex picture books for preschoolers. Bilingual books are available in 12 languages. Each child who participates in Reach Out and Read starts kindergarten with a home library of up to 10 books and a parent who has heard at every well-child visit about the importance of books and reading.
Research shows that the program really works. Studies illustrate that parents who get books and literacy counseling from their doctors and nurses are more likely to read to their young children, read to them more often, and provide more books in the home.
Low-income children exposed to Reach Out and Read show improved language development, a critical component of school readiness. Children score 4 to 8 points higher on vocabulary tests, giving 2-year-olds a 6 month head start developmentally. The only American literacy program featured at the recent White House Conference on Global Literacy, Reach Out and Read is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Reach Out and Read is one of five organizations worldwide to be awarded a 2007 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) literacy award.
Last year, New Jersey doctors gave away more than 75,000 books to almost 49,000 of the state′s youngest low-income children at 48 Reach Out and Read sites.
Reach Out and Read Medical Director Perri Klass, M.D., says that the grant from New Jersey′s pharmaceutical and medical technology companies will make it possible to serve a greater number of New Jersey′s youngest at-risk children. “We are grateful to HINJ and its member companies for their commitment to the children of New Jersey and thrilled to see books resulting from our partnership delivered to the Reach Out and Read sites in Newark,” Klass says. “The grant has created great momentum for expansion of the Reach Out and Read literacy program in New Jersey.”
Nationally, thousands of doctors this year will give 4.9 million new books to 3 million low-income families in all 50 states, Washington, DC, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Today, Reach Out and Read reaches about 25 percent of America′s most impoverished children. International programs modeled on Reach Out and Read have been started in Bangladesh, Italy, Israel, the Philippines, England, and Canada. For further information, please visit Reach Out and Read′s website at www.reachoutandread.org.
About the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ)
The HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ) is a trade association for the research-based pharmaceutical and medical technology industry in New Jersey. Founded in 1997, the Institute serves as a unified voice for the industry and seeks to build awareness of this industry′s impact on New Jersey′s quality of life and economic well-being. There are currently 28 members of the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey.
About Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read is a national, non-profit children′s literacy program that works with medical providers to reach the children at greatest risk, children aged 6 months to 5 years living at or near poverty. Medical providers participating in Reach Out and Read give books to their youngest patients at check-ups and advise their parents about the importance of reading. More than 20 million books have been distributed through Reach Out and Read, which currently serves 25 percent of the most impoverished children in the U.S. Reach Out and Read is one of five organizations worldwide to be awarded a 2007 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) literacy award. The only American literacy program featured at the recent White House Conference on Global Literacy, Reach Out and Read is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Reach Out and Read has one of the strongest records of research support of any primary care intervention. Peer-reviewed studies indicate that parents who get books and literacy counseling from their doctors and nurses are more likely to read to their young children, read to them more often, and provide more books in the home. Low-income children exposed to the program have shown improvements in language development, a critical component of school readiness. More than 47,000 doctors and nurses have been trained by Reach Out and Read since its founding in 1989. This year Reach Out and Read will provide 4.9 million new books to 3 million children at 3,518 health care sites in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. International programs modeled on Reach Out and Read have been started in Italy, Israel, the Philippines, England, Bangladesh and Canada. For further information, please visit Reach Out and Read′s website at www.reachoutandread.org.