A new literacy program for children 5 years old and younger is coming to Kane and Kendall counties.
On Friday, the Fox Valley United Way opened sign-ups for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Families in Kane County and Kendall County who enroll in the program will be mailed a free book monthly for their child from birth until the age of 5.
A $100,000 donation from the Follett Educational Foundation is partially funding the program in Kane and Kendall counties, according to a news release from the Fox Valley United Way. That money will pay for the Fox Valley United Way to enroll children, process sign-ups and coordinate the mailing of books.
There are roughly 20,000 children in the area who qualify for the program, according to Lisa Foydel, director of engagement for Fox Valley United Way. Since registration opened last Friday, the organization has seen nearly 1,000 sign-ups from Kane County and roughly 1,700 from Kendall County, Foydel said.
The program is part of a statewide partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library launched by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2023, which allocated $1.6 million in the state’s 2024 budget for the program. Local partners provide the rest of the funding, and the Dollywood Foundation orders the books and coordinates the program’s logistics, Foydel said.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was founded in 1995 distributing books to children in Tennessee, according to its website. The program has since expanded across the United States and to Canada, the UK, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
The Follett Educational Foundation was originally founded to provide college scholarships for children of employees of the Follett Corporation, according to the foundation’s website. Follett, currently based in Westchester, partners with colleges to provide course materials, merchandise, technology and other resources, according to its website. The Follett Educational Foundation has since divested from the Follett Corporation, but continues to offer scholarships and support literacy programs.
“Partnering with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to provide books to every child born in Aurora and nearby cities was a perfect opportunity for us to give back to the communities and team members who helped build the Follett businesses over the years and further our mission to deliver books to underserved communities,” Follett Educational Foundation President Britten Follett said in the news release.
The program is also being rolled out in nearby counties. Will County, for example, is launching a local Imagination Library and fundraising to support the program through a reception and showing of Parton’s 1980 movie, “9 to 5,” beginning at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, at the Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N. Chicago St. in Joliet. Tickets are $20 and can be bought at the theater’s box office.
Kendall and Kane County families with children aged 5 or younger can now enroll in the program online through the Fox Valley United Way.
Registration will be ongoing, so that parents can sign up their newborn children, Foydel said. Fox Valley United Way is also accepting donations to fund the program into the future. The organization says they also plan to host events at libraries and other locations to inform families about the program.
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
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