Books for Newborns

"An all volunteer not-for-profit proving everyday how little can do so much good!"

The Problem:
"Two-thirds of America's children living in poverty have no books at home, and the number of families living in poverty is on the rise." "More than 16 million children in the US - 22% of all children - live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level" So, in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area approximately three to seven thousand children are born into poverty each year and two to five thousand children do not have books in their homes. "For every problem, there must be one or more solutions and by definition it can't be a problem"

The Solution:
While babies are not born book lovers they are born learners. Babies can learn to love the feel of pages between their hands (or their mouth), the sound of your voice, the beauty of illustrations - in sum, the joy of a good book. Recent research has found that 85% of the brain is developed by the time a child is three years old. At Books for Newborns, we know that no single idea will solve the problem of illiteracy, poverty, crime, or discrimination; however, any attempt at solving a problem must start somewhere. The beginning of life seems to be the most logical place to begin! "There is no golden key to success"

Our Goal:
To make every child's home, who is born into poverty, a preschool. Mission Statement:
To give every child born into low-income family, in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, age appropriate books within the first year of birth. Getting books into homes of babies can also be the first step in creating an interest in reading by the whole family, this includes the parents, siblings, and other adults involved. Books for Newborns is a program that can be the spark that ignites a love of reading. This love can help shut down the pipeline that is sending our city's children to the streets, to gangs, to drugs, to crime, to prisons and early deaths.