Bookstart Baby Program Returns To Northern Ireland

Education Minister Paul Givan has expressed his support for the reintroduction of the Bookstart Baby program in Northern Ireland. This program aims to promote early intervention with families and encourage shared reading.

The Bookstart Baby program provides packs to babies and young children, fostering a love of reading from a young age. These packs are distributed through health visitors, libraries, and early years settings, reaching a significant number of children in Northern Ireland each year, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Minister Givan emphasised the importance of this program in supporting early literacy and fostering a lifelong love of reading.

Welcoming funding of over £56,000 for the programme Minister Givan said: "I am pleased that I have been able to provide funding for the Bookstart Baby programme this year as part of the Early Learning and Childcare measures being introduced in the 2024/25 financial year. "Reading to young children from an early age develops an enjoyment of books that will carry them through life. Encouraging an interest in reading has a positive impact on our children's early learning and development, especially in terms of language, communication and social skills. I very much encourage parents to use this resource to read with their children from birth and continue to do so thought these vital early years."

BookTrust is a UK-wide charity whose aim is to encourage an enjoyment of reading from a young age. BookStart Baby is a universal book-gifting programme to babies in their first year.

Kathryn Anderson, BookTrust's Senior Partnerships Manager for Northern Ireland, has welcomed this funding commitment from Minister Givan: "We are thrilled that Minister Givan has committed this funding towards Bookstart Baby for the year 2024 / 2025. As the UK's largest reading charity, we are ver proud of the Bookstart Baby programme which is the first step to helping parents read with their children at home.

"At BookTrust, we know that the early years are crucial, and getting it right gives a child the best possible start in life. It's proven that children who benefit from high-quality early years support are more likely to achieve their early development goals and have better mental health, educational outcomes, empathy and creativity in the long term."