UNC Health Southeastern Among First in State to Launch “Books from Birth” Program

UNC Health Southeastern Among First in State to Launch "Books from Birth" Program

Pictured at an unveiling of the new book sets were, from left, Book Harvest Representative Michelle Hyman, Lumber River United Way Executive Director Paul Braun, Robeson County Partnership for Children Program Director Rhiannon Chavis-Watson, UNC Health Southeastern Women's Health Services Director Lyndsey Walters, The Leon Levine Foundation Program Officer Gillian Small, UNC Health Southeastern Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Renae Taylor, Books from Birth Program Manager Wilma Cintron-Tyson, UNC Health Southeastern President & CEO Chris Ellington, UNC Health Southeastern Special Care Nursery and Pediatrics Manager Alanna Nance, UNC Health Southeastern Maternal Child Health Manager Madelyn McLemore, and Robeson County Partnership for Children Executive Director Jessica Lowery Clark.

Every baby born at UNC Health Southeastern will now begin life as a book owner. The hospital is among the first hospitals in the state to launch Books from Birth, a partnership with literacy nonprofit Book Harvest that provides every family of a newborn with a starter home library of 10 brand-new board books, shared reading strategies to help families begin reading together from day one, and a curated guide to local and national resources to support families long after they leave the hospital.

As part of the program, which began at UNC Health Southeastern on August 3, families are also encouraged to enroll in two free programs, both administered locally through the Smart Start Network. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library delivers a new book to their mailbox every month until their child's fifth birthday. Basics Insights, a weekly text messaging service, shares simple, research-informed tips for turning everyday moments into opportunities to support their children's development from birth to age five.

Together, these programs mean a child born at UNC Health Southeastern can build a home library of dozens of books by the time they walk into kindergarten, with their parents supported every step of the way, at no cost to their family.

"The earliest days of a child's life are full of firsts, and we are honored that a home library is now part of that beginning," said UNC Health Southeastern President and CEO Chris Ellington. "Placing books in the arms of our newest patients and their families is a natural extension of the care we provide, because reading together builds healthy brains, strong bonds, and bright futures."

The launch is made possible by a transformative five-year, $5 million investment from The Leon Levine Foundation in Book Harvest's Books from Birth program. The grant is bringing Books from Birth to select hospitals serving North Carolina's Tier 1 counties, the 40 counties the North Carolina Department of Commerce designates as most economically distressed, with the goal of reaching 16,000 families with newborns.

Research shows that early exposure to books and regular shared reading strengthens early literacy skills, caregiver-child bonding, and brain development during a child's most critical years. Yet in North Carolina, only 33 percent of children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn. Books from Birth is built on a simple, joyful premise: when books belong to children from day one, reading becomes part of family life from the very beginning.

"This partnership with UNC Health Southeastern brings to life a vision we believe North Carolina can lead, making book ownership from birth part of the standard of care for families," said Ginger Young, founder and CEO of Book Harvest.

Founded in Durham, North Carolina, in 2011, Book Harvest has provided more than three million books to families and is now a national leader in the movement for universal book ownership, partnering with hospitals, schools, families, and communities to build abundant home libraries of books that belong to children from the very beginning.

The Leon Levine Foundation was established in 1980 by Leon Levine, founder and former chairman of Family Dollar Stores, Inc. The Leon Levine Foundation empowers underserved Carolinians to be self-sufficient and strengthens Jewish communities. Based in Charlotte, N.C., the Foundation creates impact through grants and investments across North and South Carolina, supporting both long-standing community partners and focused strategic initiatives.