Every June, the Book Babies program at Book Harvest celebrates a cohort of families having completed their five year journey through the program. Through Book Babies, families receive quarterly home visits from literacy coaches to develop skills in utilizing age appropriate books.  Book Harvest directly provides those books and Book Babies children grow up with a dynamic, especially curated curriculum of titles, eventually accumulating a home library of 100 books. This past weekend, Book Babies graduated its first cohort that started during the COVID-19 pandemic - an inspiring group of nine young readers who, along with their parents and siblings, we are ecstatic to recognize.

Like so many other early childhood programs during COVID’s lockdowns and social distancing, Book Babies had to navigate a shift to virtually serving participating families. That of course was challenging both for the program and parents - Book Harvest is so very grateful to these parents for trusting us through such a difficult time, allowing us to be in their homes, connecting over new technologies, and for trusting and believing in the impact of this program.  We are so proud of the nine who accomplished so much in our program since 2020, seven of whom were able to join us in person to celebrate.

Book Babies graduate Kalvin’s mother Chastity Cannady delivered an address during the ceremony reflecting on their time in the program and how Book Babies was so important to them during and after the pandemic.  She recalled how hard it was not being able to meet in person but how meaningful virtual fellowship with the literacy coaches was at the time. She shared how excited Kalvin would be when the signature Blue Box would arrive in the mail and that he now has two bookshelves full of books.  Chastity also highlighted how much of a role Book Babies played in her son’s overall development and asked fellow parents to reflect on the growth their own children experienced from the beginning to the end of the program.

So many families during this period shared with us the difficulties the pandemic placed

upon them and many more ultimately were unable to continue participating in the program.  In fact, the majority of communities Book Babies serves were among the most likely to be disproportionately impacted by COVID.  At the graduation ceremony, Caitlin Georgas, Senior Associate Director of Early Literacy, told families: 

Your dedication to your children and creating joyful experiences for them through the hardest of times has been incredible to witness. The resilience you have developed, HAD to develop, you have transformed into love and patience for your babies. We thank you for letting us be a part of that in all the many different forms it has taken. It is only because of you that we have reached this point today

Book Babies now has over 350 (and climbing) children active in the program and expects to begin graduating cohort sizes upward of 100 as early as 2028.

COVID-19 affected families with babies and young children the longest due to vaccine priority phasing, and those families with children born from 2020 to 2022 were at highest risks of adverse effects from isolation*.  Strong support networks, cross-sector systems of care, and services like home-visiting were then and are now critical efforts for the well-being and development for child and parent*.  Book Babies learned so much from our parents’ voices during this period and it is because of them in part we are now in a strengthened position with a wider referral network and hybrid coaching.

The graduation of the 2025 Book Babies cohort is a landmark for the program.  Frida Daniels, the Senior Coordinator of the program, has worked diligently to ensure Book Babies continues to build upon the work done during the pandemic.  She considers the program to be not only about sending books but connecting families with the love and compassion Book Harvest literacy coaches bring to their work.  Reflecting on how heartwarming she finds seeing Book Babies children hitting their milestones to then receiving their diplomas and celebrating with their families, she notes,

Our relationship with the families is truly a partnership.

*Baker E, et al. “Reflecting on Infant/Toddler Mental Health and the Early Care and Education Workforce in North Carolina.” North Carolina Medical Journal. 2023;84(5). doi:10.18043/​001c.87525