Since The Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy program launched in Pickens County last spring, 257 local preschoolers have joined the list of 26,000 children Georgia-wide receiving a new, hardbound book each month through the mail––at absolutely no cost to their parents.
Inspired by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the Ferst program allows children from birth to age five to enroll. Each child enrolled in the Ferst program receives age-appropriate books from a list chosen by a panel of parents and educators from Dolly's Foundation.
The Ferst Foundation now serves 61 Georgia counties and four urban areas. According to the website, nearly 61 percent of low-income Georgia households do not have one piece of reading material suitable for a child.
"Imagine the possibilities if every child in kindergarten enters having been read to regularly by the most important teacher they will ever have ––their parents," it says on the Ferst foundation website.
We agree, and we believe supporting this program by either sponsoring a child or enrolling your own child is a wonderful way to promote early literacy in Pickens and to improve child preparedness for school here.
In Hart County in northeast Georgia, it has been reported children participating in the Ferst program perform, on average, 13.3 percent higher on school readiness tests than children not participating with Ferst.
While books are completely free to recipients, they come with a small price tag: $3 each––a total of $36 for one child for one year.
So who covers the cost?
Every Georgia county participating in the Ferst program creates a Community Action Team (CAT), a group of volunteers responsible for raising funds through federal, state or local grants and by donations as well from local businesses and individuals just like you. The Rotary Club in Pickens has partnered with the Ferst program and is spearheading the local CAT.
Pickens' Ferst volunteers have been spotted signing children up at kid-oriented events such as CARES4KIDS in Lee Newton Park. Informational flyers and pamphlets have been placed in key locations around town. To date, the Pickens CAT has raised $6,500.
Having nearly 300 children enrolled with Ferst in our county is a step in the right direction, but we want every preschool-aged child in Pickens signed up, no matter what their socioeconomic level. There are 1,459 potential enrollees.
If you have the resources to purchase books for your own children, don't feel guilty for getting them involved in the program. Ferst encourages it. Just sponsor your child for $36 each year and sponsor one other child in the community if you've got the extra cash. It will be exciting for your little one to find a package (addressed to them) in the mailbox each month. You can both be surprised with which titles you receive, and you can enjoy the books together.
If you can't afford to donate but have children under the age of five, sign them up and start receiving high-quality books, such as The Little Engine That Could. Just keep in mind it takes a few months to get the first installment.
For more information about the program, visit www.ferstfoundation.org.You can enroll your child on that site, and you can make a donation there, too.
If you feel more comfortable handing your money to a member of Pickens County’s Community Action Team, contact local CAT leader Wayne Brown at cwaynebrown@windstream.net for more information, or just send a check or queries to Pickens Ferst Foundation at P.O. Box 2062, Jasper, GA., 30143.
Mr. Brown can also help if you want to volunteer your time with Ferst by joining the CAT.
We like this book program for so many reasons. Money from our community goes to help those who live in our community; children who may not have access to suitable reading material can gain access; and the quality of life for preschoolers and their parents stands to be improved and enriched through the simple and fulfilling act of reading out loud.
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