The month of June marks the start of the fifth year for the Imagination Library in Wexford and Missaukee Counties. The Great Start Collaborative and the Cadillac Wexford Library will mark the occasion at the “Wednesday Wigglers” Story Time on Wednesday June 21, from 11 AM to 11:30 AM. The Wednesday Wigglers program is appropriate for children from birth to age 4 and their parents.

The occasion will also celebrate the award of a grant of $6,000 from the Cadillac Area Women’s Giving Circle to support the Wexford Missaukee Imagination Library. The Cadillac Area Women’s Giving Circle is a component fund of the Cadillac Area Community Foundation.

Doreen Lanc, Executive Director of the Cadillac Area Community Foundation, said “It is never too early to introduce reading to your child.  Spending time together and reading aloud can be an important step in the development of a child’s vocabulary.  Supporting the Imagination Library Program is an investment in our children’s future.”

The Imagination Library is a universal service available to all families with children birth to five years in the area served by Wexford Missaukee Intermediate School District. The program is available at no cost to families and is supported completely by contributions from individuals, businesses and local philanthropy. 100% of donated funds go toward the purchase and mailing of books to area children.

As of June 2017, 2072 children in the Wexford-Missaukee area are currently participating in the program and receiving a book each month, and 1454 children have graduated from the program. That means that a total of 3,526 children in the area have benefitted from the program since it began in June of 2013. Overall, the program has distributed total of 77,623 books to local children during that time. Research by the Dolly Parton Foundation on program participants has shown an increase in the number of books in the home, especially for low-income homes, and an increase in the frequency of parental reading to their children. Both of these factors are correlated with improved reading scores.

Mike Acosta, Director of the Great Start Collaborative said: “This community is fortunate to have individuals and organizations with the foresight to invest in our next generation of citizens. Early literacy is an important component of school readiness, which prepares students to succeed in school and in life.”

The Great Start Collaborative is made up of parents, professionals, local agencies, and schools who are working together to promote and improve our local system of resources and supports for families with children birth to 8 years. For more information about the Collaborative community members may visit our website: www.wmmgreatstart.org , find us on Facebook - “Wexford-Missaukee Early Childhood”, or email greatstart@cadillac.org .