Photo by Mariia Vitkovska via iStock
WHAT: Read to Grow and Greenwich Hospital to launch a new project addressing literacy for newborns and their families.
WHO: Legislators, local and state officials, early childhood advocates, hospital personnel, members of the media, Read to Grow Bookmobile
WHERE: Greenwich Hospital, 5 Perryridge Road, Greenwich, CT 06830
WHEN: February 5, 2026 at 1PM EST
Read to Grow is proud to announce a new partnership with Greenwich Hospital expanding its Newborn Literacy Project, which provides early literacy resources for families from the very start of life. Beginning February 5, 2026, families welcoming a baby at Greenwich Hospital will now receive a newborn book packet and be invited to enroll in Read to Grow’s First Year Project, which provides additional books and literacy support at key developmental milestones, including three months and one year.
“We are excited to bring the Newborn Literacy Project to another outstanding hospital and community,” said Suzannah Holsenbeck, Executive Director of Read to Grow. “By partnering with trusted healthcare providers to connect families with books and guidance from day one, we are helping to build strong foundations for learning, bonding, and healthy development. In Connecticut, every new family should be given these vital tools to become their child’s first teacher.”
“Greenwich Hospital is committed to supporting families from their very first moments together,” said Bob Blenderman, PA, president, Greenwich Hospital. “Our partnership with Read to Grow strengthens that mission. I’m especially proud of our amazing maternity team, whose compassion and expertise make these meaningful connections possible. Together, we’re helping every baby born at the hospital begin life with the tools to learn, grow and thrive.”
With the addition of Greenwich Hospital, Read to Grow is now nearing universal reach across the state, ensuring that nearly all 35,000 babies born in Connecticut annually have access to books and early literacy support from birth. Read to Grow works closely with hospital medical teams, offering training for nurses and other healthcare professionals on the importance of reading, singing, and talking with newborns. Once trained, these healthcare providers work directly with families in the hospital, sharing simple, practical strategies that empower parents and caregivers to become their child’s first teacher from day one. These early interactions play a critical role in strengthening parent-child bonds and supporting early brain development.
The launch ceremony will feature remarks from Read to Grow and Greenwich Hospital staff. The Read to Grow Bookmobile will be on site, providing free children’s books to those in attendance.
About Read to Grow:
Read to Grow is a literacy nonprofit that operates statewide, providing more than 120,000 books a year to children and families through our three programs: Books for Babies, Books for Kids, and the Bookmobile. Supporting parents as their child’s first and most important teacher, Read to Grow is committed to the power of literacy to change lives and to the vision that all children deserve books of their own. www.readtogrow.org
