Rep Kent Smith announces the launch of the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library in House District 8.

These are challenging times for many Ohio families. According to the Thomas Fordham Institute’s Ohio Education by the Numbers 2019 report, over 50% of Ohio’s Public School Children are economically disadvantaged. Those parents have to make difficult daily decisions as to how to best grow their children into healthy citizens. But because money is often hard to come by, these families may not have as many books in the home as parents would wish.

The Ohio Imagination Library now changes that as all Cuyahoga County families will be able to have age appropriate books sent to their homes for free.  Parents will have resources available to stimulate and help develop their young learners and better prepare them for school.

Any child from birth to age five can enroll to receive a free, age-appropriate, new book every month from the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library.

Research shows that book ownership can be a predictor of future academic success. In fact, studies have found that children with just 25 books in their home were more likely to complete an additional two years of education.  The Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library is a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to ensure children enter the classroom ready to succeed.

There are approximately 75,000 children under the age of five living in Cuyahoga County and because of the $5 million committed to the Imagination Library Program in the fiscal year 2020-2021 budget all 75,000 those kids, ages 0-5, can get a free book every month to help them be ready for school.

Please help us spread the word about the Ohio Imagination Library. Sign up is free and easy.  To enroll and learn more, visit www.OhioImaginationLibrary.org.

State Representative Kent Smith represents Ohio’s 8th House District which includes Beachwood, Euclid, South Euclid, Richmond Heights, East Cleveland, Woodmere Village and a little bit of the City of Cleveland.