Opening of Dungog's Imagination Library program gets kids reading

Set up by Dungog Early Literacy, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library sends out an age appropriate book to all children signed up to the program with the goal of fostering literacy with young children.

"We've got about 15 kids enrolled at the moment," president of Dungog Early Literacy Anne Higgins said.

"It's interesting, we have enrollments from all over the shire which is what we hoped because it's a shire wide program, it's not just a Dungog program.

Ms Higgins said that to sponsor one child costs the organisation $108 per year, meaning that every year they have to raise $1620 to continue to program at it's current capacity.

In the future Ms Higgins said that Dungog Early Literacy hopes to enrol up to 50 kids in the program.

"There's about six of us on the committee, we've been working very slowly over more than two years to get to this point," she said.

"We were concerned at the beginning that if we didn't have enough money to run it for at least a couple of years then we didn't want to commit. You can imagine that you don't want to start something that's not going to be continued.

"We felt confident near the end of last year that we could convince people that it was such a good program. We're hoping to get a lot more donors and sponsors on board."

Ms Higgins and those at Dungog Early Literacy are celebrating the launch of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library with a free launch event.

Taking place at 5.30pm on Tuesday, May 7 at Dungog's Royal Hotel, Ms Higgins hopes that it will serve as an introduction for people interested in both engaging with the program or donating to keep it afloat.

Dungog Early Literacy has received donations from businesses and community groups from across the shire as well as $34 individual sponsors who have committed to pay $108.

Ms Higgins said that everyone at Dungog Early Literacy is excited to get this program underway. Ms Higgins hopes the first books will be sent out in May, 2024.

"We're very happy that we've finally got this program underway. We hope the community sees that this is vital and that Dungog will be full of little readers in the future," she said.

"The benefit of early literacy will mean that once those kids start school their chances of success will be improved because they've had all this exposure prior to school."

Dungog Early Literacy is looking for babies in their first year of life for enrolment in the program.