"Of course, there are those critics - New York critics as a rule - who say, 'Well, Maya Angelou has a new book out and of course it's good but then she's a natural writer.' Those are the ones I want to grab by the throat and wrestle to the floor because it takes me forever to get it to sing. I work at the language." 

--Maya Angelou

I am saddened by the death of author, poet, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. But this quote makes me smile--such a feisty, amazing woman, and such a remarkable legacy of writing she leaves behind to inspire generations to come. And as someone who tries to write well--albeit mostly newsletters and reports and grant applications intended to inspire in a totally different way--I do sympathize with how much work it takes to try to write something that will resonate!

So in the spirit of acknowledging that there is no way that I can do justice to Maya Angelou's life or writing, I will simply leave you with a selection of her quotes. To me, these all connect with the tremendous work we have yet to do to support all young children and families, and assure equal opportunity for all. Once you ponder these, please read on for some of our latest news.

Rest in peace, Maya Angelou. And to the rest of us--action!

Jill Sells MD and the Reach Out and Read Washington Team

"We can learn to see each other and see ourselves in each other and recognize that human beings are more alike than we are unalike."

"It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength."

"What is a fear of living? It's being preeminently afraid of dying. It is not doing what you came here to do, out of timidity and spinelessness. The antidote is to take full responsibility for yourself - for the time you take up and the space you occupy. If you don't know what you're here to do, then just do some good."

FAMILY PHYSICIANS PARTNER WITH REACH OUT AND READ

 

 

Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program grant demonstrates the power of Reach Out and Read to help build an Early Learning System. We just completed a five year project supported by federal funding through the Maternal Child Health Bureau at HRSA. Entitled Improving School Readiness in Washington State through Reach Out and Read, the project was an overwhelming success. The whole effort was based in the premise of public-private partnerships to help create a statewide early learning system. We express our thanks to our many state and local partners who have made our successes possible, including the 165 Washington State medical practices now participating in Reach Out and Read. We also thank the Healthy Tomorrows staff at HRSA and the American Academy of Pediatrics for their support over the past 5 years.

We invite you to read the project summary. The full report gives a history over 5 years. It is kind of fun to read where Washington was at the time (from the Needs Assessment), and where we are now. Our collective challenge is to sustain this momentum and grow from here so that all parents can help their young children get a great start in life.

Key Accomplishments include:

Access: Services increased from approximately 80,000 well-child visits with families per year to 183,651 visits. At project end, we were serving an estimated 100,000 children and their families; 65% living in low-income families, 45% children of color, and 28% with a home language other than English.

Quality: We implemented an effective training and technical assistance program to assess, monitor, and support quality within programs.

Integration: Reach Out and Read is now embedded and prioritized within the Washington State Early Learning Plan.

Our federal project officer commented "Beautifully written final report that clearly articulates the tremendous impact of the project, both within the state of Washington and beyond. The evaluation plan was well conceptualized and quantifiable outcomes were realized from the project. Lessons learned from the project will be useful to share with current and future Healthy Tomorrows projects in all areas, not just early childhood development and school readiness." 

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ABOUT REACH OUT AND READ WASHINGTON STATE

Reach Out and Read helps prepare children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together. Our evidence-based proven program leverages the influence of children's doctors and makes literacy a standard part of well-child checkups from ages 6 months through 5 years. Reach Out and Read supports parents as their child's first teacher and helps children be ready for kindergarten. 

Through 165 programs in 31 counties, 1,400 medical providers serve an estimated 100,000 children and their families across Washington. Reach Out and Read Washington State is a Regional Office of Reach Out and Read, Inc., a national not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization.