FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — A resolution aimed at increasing enrollment in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for Kentucky children advanced out of the House Families and Children Committee with unanimous support.
Senate Joint Resolution 54, sponsored by Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, now heads to the full House for further consideration.
The resolution encourages the Department for Libraries and Archives and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to collaborate on practical ways to increase program enrollment. The focus is on reaching children in foster care, low-income households and communities with lower participation rates.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides one free, age-appropriate book each month to children from birth to age five. Currently, about half of eligible Kentucky children are enrolled in the program.
“Reading with a child is one of the simplest ways families stay connected. Those few minutes each day add up. They build language, strengthen relationships, and help children feel ready when they walk into a classroom for the first time,” Chambers Armstrong said.
Chambers Armstrong added that the resolution focuses on making a proven program more accessible for families.
“We are not starting from scratch. We know this program works,” Chambers Armstrong said.
“What matters now is whether we are doing enough to reach every child who could benefit. This is a practical step to make sure more Kentucky kids grow up with books in their homes from the very beginning,” Chambers Armstrong said.
