Contact:
Noelda Lopez, Public Information Specialist
Noelda.Lopez@flhealth.gov
Office: 352-589-6424, After Hours: 352-728-7662

Eustis, FL–  The Florida Department of Health in Lake County (DOH-Lake) and the Umatilla Public Library invite you to participate in the celebration of the expansion of the Reach Out and Read Program.  Join us on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at the Florida Department of Health Umatilla located at 249 E. Collins Street, Umatilla from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.  The event is free to the public and activities will include free children books, story time, activity stations and children’s characters. 

The program encourages parents to read to their children at an early age and make reading a significant part of the child’s life.  During the child’s routine well visit between the ages of 6 months through 5 years, our trained providers will give an age appropriate book to the child as well as talk to the parents about the importance of reading aloud.  In addition, designated DOH-Lake sites will promote literacy in our community by ensuring the children’s waiting areas has age appropriate books for children to read. 

“This program provides our agency with an excellent opportunity to continue educating parents on health topics as we have always done during their children checkup visit, but we are also now able to encourage them to start reading to their children at an early age which will impacts their lifelong development and growth” said Aaron Kissler, Florida Department of Health in Lake County Administrator

This is significant to our community because reading aloud during early childhood is the single most important activity that builds the skills needed to start reading and learning.  More importantly, parent-child interactions in these early years support healthy brain development that forms the foundation for success later at school and in life.

For additional information on this program please visit http://www.reachoutandread.org/ or feel free to contact Lillian Rodriguez at (352) 483-7983.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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