Country music icon Dolly Parton may never step foot in Kankakee County, but her early-childhood library program is set to leave footprints across the entire region.
No, Parton will not be constructing a library. Her early-childhood book program, however, will seek to lay a foundation for school success.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, an early-childhood reading program that distributes books monthly to families with children ages newborn to age 5, will be provided to families in all Kankakee County school districts.
The announcement was made at Thursday’s United Way of Kankakee and Iroquois Counties annual dinner meeting by United Way and Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley leadership.
The program will begin immediately and could cost about $200,000 annually to administer as partnerships grow over the coming years, said Mariah Vail, executive director of the local United Way.
The program is being funded through United Way and the Community Foundation, as well as contributions from the Kankakee and Herscher school districts.
The program costs nothing to families. Parents simply need to sign up to receive a children’s book monthly.
“Reading is so important,” Nicole Smolkovich, director of the Community Foundation, said after the program Thursday. “The question was, ‘How do we invest in this?’ It’s going to take our community united to do this.”
This book program has been in operation in Iroquois County through the two organizations since April 30, and about 500 families participate. The Dolly Parton program also has been in operation within the elementary school district boundaries of Bradley and Bourbonnais.
The program was started at Bourbonnais Elementary in the 2017-18 school year and the following school year in Bradley.
About 800 families at Bourbonnais Elementary participate on a monthly basis. In Bradley, the participation figure is about 350.
The Bradley and Bourbonnais districts will not join the United Way program, as they will continue under their current funding network, which is made up of federal Title IX, state funding as well as village and library district assistance.
In all, Vail said there are about 6,000 Kankakee County families who could receive free books.
There already is a waitlist of more than 200 families, Vail said. Registration is completed through the families’ home school district.
The book comes in an envelope addressed to the child.
Reading help needed
In Illinois, only 33% of fourth-grade students read at or above the National Assessment of Education Progress’ “proficient” level, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Illinois Assessment of Readiness.
Data from state and national assessments highlight that students from minority and low-income backgrounds lag behind their peers in reading proficiency.
According to Illinois data from 2024, reading achievement for Black and Hispanic third graders is only at 15% and 19%, respectively.
Data has shown, however, that Illinois eighth graders meet or exceed national averages in reading.
On the most recent national exam in 2024, Illinois ranked 29th in the U.S. for the percentage of fourth graders at or above proficiency in reading, down from 17th in 2022.
Statewide, about 52% of adults lack basic sixth-grade-level proficiency.
For questions regarding registration in the Imagination Library or to support this local initiative, email Nicole Smolkovich at nicole@cfkrv.org or Vail at mariah@myunitedway.org.
Families in Kankakee and Iroquois counties can visit myunitedway.org/imagination to learn more and to register children. Books are available in English and Spanish. There are no income requirements for participation.
United Way and the Community Foundation now serve as the region’s funding agent for children in all Kankakee and Iroquois school districts.
Success By 6
Funding through Kankakee School District 111, the Iroquois Federal Foundation, Meijer and local donors is helping to propel the inaugural year for this program.
Imagination Library mails more than 2 million books each month. The program teams with Success By 6.
Established in 2008, Success By 6 unites early-childhood organizations in Kankakee and Iroquois counties around shared goals to ensure all children have enriching experiences and strong parent-child relationships helping to prepare them to succeed in school.
Becoming a reader is a key ingredient not only for success in school but also in life, and the sooner a love for reading is developed, the greater the likelihood for a successful life.
While testing for reading competency takes place in third grade, Vail believes that timing is late. So much foundational education takes place in kindergarten, first and second grades, she said.
The expense for a single child to receive one book per month is $34. Vail said when all costs are factored in, that is a small price to help develop a successful child.
“Reading is an adventure,” she said, adding that the earlier a person become a reader, the more likely they will be lifelong readers.