This March, we celebrate National Read Across America Day in schools across the U.S. This observance was established in 1997 to both dedicate a day to reading a great book and to honor the birthday of Dr. Seuss on March 2. Reading is a key part of any child’s early education, and the more access children or anyone have to a selection of books, the greater their ability to venture into timeless stories and educational journeys.
Benefit Programs for the Youth
At Benefits.gov, we want to make sure citizens find the educational resources they need for their children and their loved ones. For children looking to gain access to books or a better education in general, they can find information about the following resources listed below:
- Head Start and Early Head Start: Head Start is a Federal program that promotes the school readiness of children from birth to age five from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development.
- Youth Education and Training Activities: The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Investment Act (WIOA) Youth Program provides formula funded grants to state and local communities to operate a comprehensive array of youth services that help low-income eligible in-school and out-of-school youth (ages 14-21) seeking assistance in achieving academic and employment success.
- Transitional Living Program for Homeless Youth: The Transitional Living Program (TLP) provides homeless youth with stable, safe living accommodations for up to 21 months. The TLP provides services to help young people develop skills necessary to move to independence and life as healthy, productive adults.
Access to books and information is important not only to children, but also to those with physical disabilities and limitations. For this reason, the Library of Congress offers a Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. This online library is a free service for anyone seeking access to books who has a disability preventing them from reading.
Federal Depository Library Program
Benefits.gov recently partnered with the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) to highlight some key resources available to citizens. The FDLP aims to provide free access to Federal Government information. These Federal libraries and librarians work diligently to give as much information to the public as possible, which includes information on careers, business opportunities, consumer information, health and nutrition, legal and regulatory information, demographics, and more.
Additional Resources
For more resources for your children or your general education, please visit the Education and Training and Family and Children Services categories on Benefits.gov. Be sure to take the Benefit Finder questionnaire to find other government benefits that you or your child may be eligible to receive.
