Mission Statement
"To put a smile on the face of a child in the time of need"
To accomplish this mission we provide children's books to first responders to give the gift of a children's book to a child at the scene of an accident, domestic crisis or other crisis situation where children are in a traumatic situation to help the child shift their focus to something positive.
We are currrently the fastest growing "Crime prevention Program" in the country and are, also, a tool for officers and first responders to help them bridge the gap between an authority figure and a child during a frightening time in their lives that they will likely never forget. And to change a negative situation into a positive one can have life changing implications.
We are also, a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( PTSD) preventive initiative because of the way inwhich our gift of literacy helps a child cope with a frightening situation by changing their focus to something positive and comforting.
Description
REACH a Child has four different program areas:
1) Our BACK Packet program (aka. Become A Cheerful Kid) is where we supply first responders, Police, Sheriff, State Patrol and others with a backpack filled with 15 to 20 children's books for the officers to give out ( one book at a time) to children that they come into contact with at the scene of an accident or other domestic crisis where children are involved.
2) Jail and Prison Literacy Crime Prevention Program is where we supply brand new books to chidren that go to state prisons or county jails to visit incarcerated parents or loved ones. Each time they visit they get a book, this helps them feel more comfortable at the facility and gives them an opportunity to develop a love of reading that may last a lifetime.
3) Hospital Emergency Literacy Program ( HELP) is where we supply ER's with brand new books to give to children that come into their facilities either as a patient or with a family member, because ER's can be very frightening situations for children.
4) DA's Child Witness Literacy Program is where we supply children's books to District Attorneys so that they can give out a children's book after the child has been video taped and recorded about the abuse or neglect that they had been subjected to; so the child does not have to testify in the court rooms in front of a jury, etc.
