2026 -- H 8222

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LC005892

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

RECOGNIZING "REACH OUT AND READ RHODE ISLAND DAY" ON MARCH 3, 2026 IN

THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Representatives Caldwell, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale,
Kennedy, Ajello, Shallcross Smith, Fellela, Diaz, and Fogarty

     Date Introduced: March 03, 2026

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read Rhode Island is a local, nonprofit organization

dedicated to building a world where every child is read to every day by supporting families with

young children through the power of shared reading and early literacy; and

     WHEREAS, The organization partners with pediatricians and family medicine providers

across Rhode Island to encourage families to read aloud every day starting at birth as a way to

build early literacy skills, strengthen family bonds and empower parents to be their child's first

and most important teacher; and

     WHEREAS, Families participating in the Reach Out and Read RI program receive

developmentally appropriate, new books at no cost during well-child visits from birth through age

five, helping to build home libraries and spark early developmental, language, and emotional

skills; and

     WHEREAS, Reading aloud with young children not only promotes language acquisition

and cognitive development but also strengthens parent-child bonds and supports healthier brain

growth during the critical early years of life; and

     WHEREAS, Reach Out and Read RI has served Rhode Island since 1999, currently

partnering with nearly 70 medical sites statewide and a network of over 400 medical clinicians,

providing books and literacy guidance at more than 100,000 well-child visits last year alone and

serving 50,000 children; and

     WHEREAS, Recognizing and celebrating Reach Out and Read RI Day on March 3 raises

public awareness of the importance of early childhood literacy, encourages community support

for family reading, and honors the dedicated pediatric partners and volunteers who serve Rhode

Island’s children; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

commemorates March 3, 2026, as "Reach Out and Read Rhode Island Day" in the State of Rhode

Island in recognition of the vital role that early literacy, family reading, and community

engagement play in the healthy development and lifelong success of Rhode Island’s youngest

residents; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Aimee Falso, Executive Director of Reach Out

and Read RI.

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LC005892

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