“Health-related absences are one of the top reasons students miss so many days of school that they are at risk of being chronically absent. Occasional absences related to health reasons are to be expected. But absences can quickly add up when a child has an undertreated chronic health condition, lacks access to care, or experiences anxiety or other mental health issues. Families might also be confused about when to send a child to school after months of being told to stay home.
Schools and districts can communicate clearly and often with families to address fears about when to send a child to school after an illness or how they can handle a student who may have anxiety. “
Find more information on how to keep your children healthy, in school, and prepared to learn at https://www.attendanceworks.org/
The Problem: In 2023, 32.5 % of Pekin Kindergarteners, 30.1% of First Graders, 28.3% of Second Graders, and 23.8% of Third Graders missed 10% or more of school days with or without a valid excuse. Illinois law defines a “chronic absentee” as a student who misses 10 percent of school days within an academic year with or without a valid excuse. That’s 18 days of an average 180-day school year.
Research shows (see information below) that missing 18 or more days a year can lead to students having difficulty learning to read by the third grade, missing even more school days in higher grades, and even not graduating from high school.
Research also shows that this is a solvable problem.
The first step is to get informed and read the research below. Also, follow Pekin Alliance for Literacy Success on Facebook or at pekinliteracy.org for more information and resources on getting ready for Kindergarten and reading at grade level by Third Grade!
Tazewell County, get ready to embark on a magical journey where the love for reading and the joy of imagination take center stage!
What is the Dolly Parton Imagination Library?
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a renowned literacy program that was founded by the legendary Dolly Parton. This initiative is dedicated to fostering a love of books and reading among children from birth to age five.
Every month, enrolled children receive a carefully selected, age-appropriate book mailed directly to their homes, absolutely free of charge.
How did the Program Come to Tazewell County?
Imagination Library of Tazewell County was organized in 2024 by supporters in our local libraries (https://www.mortonlibrary.org/imagination). By bringing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to kids in our community, your Tazewell County public libraries offer another avenue to share the joy of books and the gift of reading.
To accomplish this, local donors were needed to cover postage costs associated with delivering the free books to individual homes, secure ongoing support, and provide a foundation for sustainable giving. The Tazewell County Freemasonry stepped up to provide initial funding, with multiple other donors (listed below) joining to support the venture.
Who is Eligible?
Children under five years old who live in Tazewell County are now eligible to receive a free book each month through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in partnership with Tazewell County Libraries. The free books are offered to all children under five in the county, regardless of family income. Children must be registered by a parent or guardian in order to receive the books. There is no charge to register or receive the books.
It sounds almost too simple to be true, but by reading regularly with your children during their early years, you are giving them the biggest boost toward a successful education they will ever get.
Enrolling your child in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is easy and free!
Please allow eight to ten weeks for your little one’s first book to arrive. Subsequent books will arrive monthly. The first book distributed is always the children’s classic, “The Little Engine That Could.”
Thank You!
Local funding for the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in Tazewell County is provided by:
Tazewell County Freemasonry
East Peoria Women’s Club
Friends of Fondulac Library
Kiwanis Club of East Peoria
Pekin Kiwanis Club
Rotary Club of Morton
Friends of the Pekin Library
Retired Teachers of Tazewell County
I Want To…GIVE TODAY
The success of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library relies on the support of our community.
The Dollywood Foundation covers the cost of the books. Local partners cover the mailing costs. Tazewell County’s Imagination Library program is funded by donations, with a 50% match given by the State of Illinois. In order to receive this match, we must acquire funding to cover the entirety of Tazewell County.
Although we rely heavily on Community Organizations for funding, individuals are also needed to support this important literacy program. Donations are tax-deductible and flow through a fund at the Morton Community Foundation. Please mail contributions to: Morton Community Foundation ATTN: Imagination Library Fund, 135 S. First Avenue, Morton, IL 61550 or donate online here:
Your contribution will not only provide a child with the gift of reading but also contribute to the overall literacy development in Tazewell County.
About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has gifted over 250 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and The Republic of Ireland. This is achieved through funding shared by The Dollywood Foundation and Local Program Partners. The Imagination Library mails more than 3 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month. Each child enrolled in the program receives one book per month from birth to age five – at no cost to families. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading and inspiring children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More and Be More.
The program’s impact has been widely researched, and results demonstrate its positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com.
Pekin Alliance for Literacy Success will officially launch its campaign on July 6th at the Pekin Park Foundation’s Bicentennial Bash. Formed in January of this year, the group began meeting at the Pekin Public Library to discuss the status of literacy and kindergarten readiness in the community and to form an action plan to support students, parents, and the schools’ efforts to improve literacy achievement.
Current partnering organizations include Pekin School District 108, Rankin School District 98, South Pekin School District 137, Pekin Public Library, Pekin Housing Authority, Pekin Police Department, Pekin Park District, Tazewell County Health Department, YWCA Pekin, Pekin Outreach Initiative, and the Pekin Chamber of Commerce.
United in raising grade-level reading achievement, the alliance of partners recognized early on that reading success by the third grade depends very much on the student’s early childhood health, exposure to books, opportunities to become well prepared to learn by the first day of kindergarten, and the family’s habits in prioritizing school attendance.
As such, the goals for the first phase of their action plan focus on school readiness, school attendance, after-school and summer literacy programs, and the importance of getting books into homes and family reading time.
Pekin Alliance for Literacy Success 