OHIO — To foster the love for reading, Gov. Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine held book readings at local Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program clinics in Hamilton and Lisbon.

“We really enjoyed reading to the kids today, and we’re hopeful that these designated reading spaces will become quite popular with visitors,” said Fran DeWine. “We believe our partnership with the Ohio Department of Health and WIC will encourage more Ohio families to sign up their child for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio’s monthly book delivery.”

Several WIC clinics in the state are getting new reading spaces for children. The Ohio Department of Health and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio created these spaces for children to read while their families visit the clinic.

The 10 WIC clinics selected for the reading spaces project were picked using regional early childhood literacy data, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio participation rates, kindergarten readiness scores and proximity to library resources.

These locations serve more than 33,000 families each month.

Currently, more than 410,000 Ohio children are participating in the program, which represents 62% of the eligible children in the state.

Children in Ohio receive a free book each month from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library until they are 5 years old.

“Books open up a world of possibilities for our children,” said DeWine. “By connecting more Ohio children and families with our Imagination Library program, these WIC reading spaces will advance our work to help more kids unlock their imaginations, discover a love for reading and will set them on the best path toward success as they enter Kindergarten and throughout life.”