DAYTON, Ohio– For children, the first five years of life are the most important, because that’s when 90 percent of brain development occurs. 

That’s why Dayton Children’s, Ohio’s First Lady Fran DeWine, and Montgomery County announced the launch of the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library Initiative, which she hopes set a strong foundation for the future of children in Montgomery County. 

The program aims to increase childhood literacy and early learning opportunities in Ohio’s fifth-most populous county. 

“This is a major commitment and investment to our children,” Fran DeWine said. “But we believe it’s really a good investment.” 

The Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library Initiative is a free program dedicated to giving parents and caregivers free books to help create a love for learning at an early age. 

It will be funded primarily by Montgomery County and Dayton Children’s, who together combined to pledge 215,000 dollars to fund the program over its first three years. Other donors are also committed, but their individual funding has not been released. 

“This is the first large metropolitan city, since we started this program five months ago, to have it available to the whole county,” DeWine said. 

Dayton Children’s Hospital will serve as the program administrator, which will provide one free book each month to kids four years and younger.

“Our parents and our caregivers can show our children the value of a book, and set that incredible foundation for learning,” Dayton Children’s Hospital CEO and President Debbie Feldman said. “Taking the time to read to a child or have that child read to you builds a deep relationship fostering not only language development but strong emotional, social ties.” 

DeWine says the goal is to make sure children have a solid foundation based on reading before they hit kindergarten.

“As a mother of eight children, and grandmother of 24 kids, I understand how important it is for kids. I really believe that we get kids ready for kindergarten, if everybody’s up to the start line at the beginning, what a difference it’s gonna make in their school years and their whole life. I think it’s the easiest, most inexpensive, most important thing we can do.” 

To enroll your child in the free program, simply follow this link.