OLYMPIA — Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will continue to lead children to reading in Washington. 

The Imagination Library of Washington announced Wednesday that the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has taken up funding the early literacy program following budget cuts that left its future in limbo. 

“We came up with a shortfall this year with the state legislature,” said Imagination Library of Washington and United Ways of the Pacific Northwest Director of Marketing Angela French. “(OSPI) feels so passionate about early literacy and preparing kids for kindergarten that, being a great partner, they said, ‘We want to step up and help where we can.’” 

The Imagination Library was founded in 1995 by singer and actress Dolly Parton through her Dollywood Foundation to promote reading among small children, according to the announcement. The method is simple: a family subscribes for free to the library and every month, each child up to the age of 5 receives an age-appropriate book in the mail. The books are paid for by a combination of local partners and state funds. Washington has participated since 2022, and today the program serves 120,000 children in Washington alone, according to the announcement. 

“This is one of the most effective, proven early literacy programs out there,” French said. “It's the simplicity, turnkey model of this program … (parents) having books in the home and reading with their child and teaching those important skills is preparing their children to enter kindergarten.” 

The Imagination Library recently expanded the program to include Spanish-English bilingual books, to help children in Spanish-speaking households gain literacy in both languages, French said. The bilingual option was announced June 3, she said, and since then almost 2,800 Washington families have signed up. 

The books are chosen by a committee with the Dollywood Foundation, which reviews hundreds of books every year for quality and age level. 

“What they look for in those book collections is just the high quality of content, teaching values, teaching social emotional skills, teaching about different cultures,” French said. “So … kids are learning not just the physical language, but also those other really important skills that will carry them through life.” 

The OSPI funding is only for one year, French said, after which the foundation and OSPI will approach the legislature to request supplemental funds to keep the program going. 

"Washington’s youngest children cannot afford to have their opportunities for early learning cut to this extent,” State Superintendent Chris Reykdal wrote in the announcement. “While I plan to advocate for renewed funding in the supplemental session next year, the Imagination Library of Washington risks losing their effective, statewide infrastructure if funding generated from the statewide match is halted for even one year. Through limited discretionary funds, my agency will keep this program funded for one more year with the goal being to obtain permanent funding from the Legislature next session.” 

Families who would like to receive free books from the Imagination Library can sign up at www.imaginationlibrarywashington.org. 

    The Imagination Library was established by singer and actress Dolly Parton in honor of her father, who never learned to read and write, according to the Dollywood Foundation.