UConn John Dempsey Hospital is now participating in Read to Grow’s Books for Babies program, which provides families of newborns with a free book and vital early literacy resources before they even leave the hospital.

On November 6, Read to Grow officially launched the program in UConn Health’s labor and delivery unit, celebrating a partnership designed to give every baby born here a strong start in life through the power of reading, singing, and talking from day one.

“Our message is simple but transformative,” said Suzannah Holsenbeck, Executive Director of Read to Grow. “Read, sing, talk, and play with your baby. All that language exposure, all that time bonding, literally helps grow your baby’s brain, building the white matter that supports healthy development.”

Each year, approximately 29,000 newborns across Connecticut receive the same book, Welcome to the World, through this program. Read to Grow began 25 years ago with a single hospital partner and now reaches birthing centers statewide. The organization also supports families through its Books for Kids and Bookmobile programs, which distribute more than 100,000 books annually to children and families free of charge.

Holsenbeck said the partnership with UConn Health began a few years ago in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where books were given to parents to promote early bonding and language development. Now, with the program’s expansion to labor and delivery, every new parent will receive a book and information on nurturing their child’s language growth from birth.

Dr. Shabnam Lainwala, director of the regional neonatal neurodevelopmental follow-up program at Connecticut Children’s, has been connected with Read to Grow for years. “We’ve been providing books to families through our follow-up clinic and are so excited to see this expand hospital-wide,” she said. “It’s a wonderful way to reinforce the importance of reading at every stage of early development.”

Dr. David Sink, neonatologist and medical director at the Connecticut Children’s NICU at UConn Health highlighted how timely the partnership is given the growth of the hospital’s maternity services.

“Our nursery is the fastest growing in the state, with about 12 percent year-over-year growth,” he said. “That means more families than ever will benefit from this program and from the message that literacy and connection start at birth.”

“This program reflects what matters most to us supporting healthy development and family connection from the very beginning,” says Caryl Ryan, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer for UConn Health, “We’re proud to be part of something that reaches families across Connecticut and helps close the literacy gap before it begins.”

As part of the celebration, Read to Grow’s Bookmobile also visited campus, offering free books to children ages 0–7 and sharing the joy of reading with staff and families alike.

The launch marks another way UConn Health is supporting families beyond medical care — helping parents nurture their child’s development from the very first days of life.

Through this collaboration, Read to Grow and UConn Health are reinforcing a shared mission: to give every child in Connecticut the best possible start. Together, they’re turning a simple act — opening a book — into the beginning of a lifelong journey of learning, connection, and growth.

As Holsenbeck reminded those gathered, “It’s never too early to start reading to your baby.”