[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 31 (Thursday, March 3, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          INTRODUCTION OF THE ACCESS TO BOOKS FOR CHILDREN ACT

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                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 3, 2011

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today, I am pleased to introduce the 
Access to Books for Children Act. This bill would amend the Child 
Nutrition Act of 1966 to provide a $5 voucher to mothers for the 
purchase of educational books for infants and children participating in 
the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and 
Children, WIC.
  As a lifelong advocate for reading and early education, I am 
introducing this bill to help provide nourishment for both the body and 
the mind to children who need it most. The American Academy of 
Pediatrics recommend daily reading to a child beginning when the child 
is 6 months old. The Access to Books for Children Act will make it 
easier for children in the WIC program to develop literacy skills by 
placing books in the hands of children who may not otherwise have their 
own books in the home. Children who are exposed to books and reading 
before they start school are much more likely to graduate from high 
school than those who are not. I urge you to support this bill to 
invest in early education by instilling the love of reading in all 
children during the formative years that matter the most.

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