This week, the Blue Mountain Early Learning Hub partnered with the Northwest Reach Out and Read team for a two-day presentation tour as part of the Blue Mountain Expansion Project. Together, the team visited five clinics, advancing a shared goal of doubling Reach Out and Read services across Umatilla, Morrow, and Union counties.
Reach Out and Read is a nonprofit program that promotes early childhood literacy by integrating books into pediatric care. During well-child visits, healthcare providers give young children age-appropriate books and encourage parents to read aloud with them daily. By combining medical guidance with literacy support, the program helps build strong language skills, fosters healthy parent-child relationships, and sets the foundation for lifelong learning and school success.
This multi-year effort aims to reach 80% program saturation—impacting more than 25,000 well-child visits annually. When fully realized and sustained, the project would have the potential to distribute thousands of books alongside critical early literacy education during the well-child visit schedule for children ages 0–5.
To learn more about Reach Out and Read, visit their website, or explore the Oregon annual report.