Book Babies

• Audience: Families with children younger than 16 weeks at enrollment who are Medicaid eligible and located in a NC county implementing Book Babies.
• Home Visits: 4 visits per year during the first 4 years of enrollment and 1 visit in the last year focused on the transition from pre-k to kindergarten.
  • During home visits, a trained Book Babies Literacy Coach reviews early language and literacy concepts and strategies with the caregiver and shares 5 age-appropriate books (for a total of 20 books a year, or 100+ books by the end of the five-year program) for the family to add to their home library. Books are also provided to the siblings of the enrolled child (ages 0-18 years). 
  • Starting at 2.5 years of age, the Book Babies Coach shares a Literacy Kit at each visit (includes a writing/coloring pad, pencil, crayons, playdough, pencil sharpener, and scissors in a reusable bag) and models emergent writing strategies for the family to continue to practice at home.
• Transition to School: During the last year of the program, families receive a Ready for School Guide and materials to prepare for the transition to school as well as individualized coaching regarding pre-k application and kindergarten information. All sites implementing Book Babies must offer additional transition to school supports, but families are not required to participate. These may include the following:
  
  • Small group info sessions regarding pre-k and kindergarten transitions.
  • Opportunities to participate in a small group six-week parent and family advocacy training (conducted in English and Spanish) centered on the transition to school.
  • This component is supported by local K-12 representatives (i.e., school family liaison, kindergarten teachers, etc.).
• Parent Networking Opportunities: Parent networking opportunities must be made available throughout participation in the program and communicated via means that all parents receive (e.g., text messages, social media posts, and emails). All sites are required to provide the parent networking opportunities each year. These may include the following:
  • Committee opportunities
  • A celebration (for example, an annual celebration and/or a graduation at the end of the cohort’s five years of participation in the program, typically held at the end of spring before kindergarten starts)
  • Weekly text messages
  • Invitations to meetings/small group programming

English, Spanish

Home Visits: In-person

Transition to School: In-person 

Parenting Networking Opportunities: Varies

Home Visits:

• Five-year engagement with a family
• Four 30-60 minute visits, one per quarter, each year for the first 4 years and 1 visit in the last year 

Transition to School: One school consultation is completed during the last year of the program.

Parenting Networking Opportunities: At least one per year.

Materials: Book Babies Manual and Curriculum; books and materials to include in Book Babies Literacy Kits (1 reusable bag, crayons, pencil, playdoh, toddler scissors, glue stick, drawing pad, and pencil sharpener). These materials are not provided by the purveyor. 

Space: Storage for books.

Wraparound: Childcare, meals, translation services, and transportation support must be offered for in-person small group meetings throughout the program.

Incentives: The following incentives are offered to Book Babies participants in Durham and recommended for use in other counties. Smart Start Cost Principles need to be followed with any incentives provided.

• Free books
• Free bookshelf
• Free Literacy Kits
• Free Ready for School guide and materials
• $5 membership to Museum of Life & Science or similar local children’s museum
• Parent networking opportunities
• Partnership with Bright Futures helps families start building their child’s savings account- $100 per year of active enrollment in Book Babies (totaling $500 at graduation)
  • Parents can add additional funds
  • Can be used to support child’s education or career needs once they turn 18 
  • Studies show that children who have a $500 college savings account are 3x more likely to attend college and 4x more likely to graduate
  • More information about Book Babies and Bright Futures- FAQ. Parents own these children’s savings accounts, and Book Harvest does not put any restrictions on their access to the funds before the child turns 18. Before the child turns 18, the Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU) will require that Book Harvest be notified before emergency withdrawals are authorized. Data from other locations, which have a similar arrangement, indicates that a very small percentage of families withdraw the money before the child's 18th birthday; and of those that do, many redeposit the funds after the situation that led to the withdrawal has been resolved. This trust in parents speaks to Book Harvest’s core belief that, if given the chance, parents will do what is best for their children.

A background in education, psychology, or social work is preferred as well as at least one year of experience working/partnering with families. Former Book Babies participating parents/caregivers may serve as Book Babies Coaches. 

One full-time Book Babies Literacy Coach partners with 100 families.

NCPC strongly recommends staff receive training in the Standards of Quality for Family Support and Strengthening. Contact Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina (PCANC) or National Family Support Network (NFSN) for more information, training, and certification. 

Book Harvest provides curriculum guidance (including a list of recommended books and a manual for home visitors) and recommend vendors for purchasing books. 

Staff training for Book Babies Coaches is facilitated by Book Harvest in a hybrid model (total of 20-25 hours of training, with a minimum of 12 hours in person). In person components are provided in Durham, NC. Book Harvest provides training for the initial cohort of Book Babies Coaches at a new site. This would include additional training for a certified trainer at each site. As the site moves through the process of certification, Book Harvest assesses the need for further training. Additional information about ongoing training for certified trainers is forthcoming.

Initial certification requires shadowing all Book Babies Coaches during 4 home visits (included in the initial 20-25 hours of training). At least 2 home visits must be in person. Initial certification also requires that the Book Babies Coaches participate in 4 Communities of Practice Sessions throughout their first year (may be virtual).

Book Harvest provides technical assistance throughout the first year, including supporting outreach and recruitment, monitoring program process and fidelity measures, tracking key performance indicators (KPI) and analysis of these data, inputting data into the Book Babies Database, generating reports through the database, engaging with local community partners, and more.