Great things are happening at our Northwest Family Medical and Dental Center in Albany, Georgia! This Albany Area Primary Health Care (AAPHC) medical office was approved for the "Reach Out and Read" Grant and families are already jumping into new books with their children.
 
As one of the newest program sites, AAPHC's Northwest Family Medical and Dental Center is part of a growing network of more than 6,000 "Reach Out and Read" program sites nationwide. As part of this network, our AAPHC team focus on and promote children’s early literacy skills development.
 
In Georgia there are over 150 practices implementing the program serving over 107,000 children and families. "Reach out and Read" is a national program that encourages development of early literacy in children.
 
The program provides new books to children at every health/wellness check starting at 6 months of age to 5 years. A third of young children, and a half of children living in poverty, in the U.S. arrive at kindergarten without the skills that they need for success at school. The program encourages parents to read to their children which develops language and literacy skills as well promoting parent-child bonding.
 
“AAPHC is proud to be named one of the ‘Reach Out and Read’ sites for Georgia,” says Brandy Church, spokesperson for AAPHC. “Patients at our Northwest Albany location will receive books at their annual check-ups as a way to encourage a love of reading at a young age.  Studies show that young readers have an expanded vocabulary and develop critical language skills needed to succeed in school. We are so happy to see our patients and their families jumping into these stories and reading together.”