Mahwah KinderCare Helping Kids 'Reach Out and Read'

A Mahwah daycare and early learning center is working to fuel a national reading initiative, and is asking for the community to help.

During the entire month of February, KinderCare in Mahwah will be collecting new or gently used children’s books to donate to the Reach Out and Read movement.

Reach Out and Read provides books to young children in low-income communities by partnering with doctors and nurses. Through the program, pediatricians prescribe books to kids, and encourage families to read together. According to the organization’s website, doctors and nurses speak with parents about the importance of reading aloud, and give kids a new book at every regular check-up from age 6 months through 5 years old.

Reach Out and Read recently made headlines when superstar Taylor Swift partnered with Scholastic Books to donate 15,000 books to the program.

Representatives at Mahwah’s KinderCare location say they hope the community can add to the organization’s growing library.

“We've done a book drive like this before, but just within the families of our center,” KinderCare Program Specialist Heather Alesio said. “We would like to get the community involved so that we have more to donate to those in need.”

KinderCare is asking residents to drop off books at its location on Edison Road weekdays this February from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

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