Northumberland foster carer praise Dolly Parton free book scheme
Foster carers in Northumberland are praising Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for its positive impact on children's literacy and development. The scheme, which provides free monthly books to children under five, has been credited with helping foster children bond with their carers and improve their speech.
Why it matters
The program demonstrates the significant role of charitable literacy initiatives in supporting vulnerable children and foster care systems globally.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, The singer started a scheme to provide books for children after growing up in a family where reading was not commonplace
Foster carers have shared how Dolly Parton's free book scheme has helped children.
The country singer, who died on Tuesday, established her Imagination Library in 1995 in Tennessee to provide books from birth to age five, and it was then launched in the UK in 2007.
Barbara Hubbard, from Berwick, Northumberland, has been a carer for more than 10 years and said the scheme was "just amazing".
"Whenever I've had under-fives, I've had one of the Dolly Parton books arrive through my letterbox each month for that child," the 62-year-old told BBC Radio Newcastle.
"These books are for children to keep and we've had so many favourites.
"A lot of these children have speech problems and it's helped with their literacy.
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