St. Charles Imagination Library hits 250,000 free books delivered

United Way of St. Charles and local partners marked a milestone in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, with 250,000 free books delivered to young children through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. A new funding commitment from Loyd J. Bourgeois Injury & Accident Lawyer is meant to keep the program growing past half of all eligible children enrolled.

Why it matters: - The milestone shows a long-running community program is helping build early reading habits for children from birth through age 5. - More than 1,200 children in St. Charles Parish now receive a free, age-appropriate book each month. - The program currently reaches about 43% of eligible children in the parish. - A full funding commitment from Loyd J. Bourgeois Injury & Accident Lawyer is designed to protect access and help the program expand.

What happened: - United Way of St. Charles said the local Imagination Library program delivered its 250,000th free book in St. Charles Parish. - The program launched in 2009 and has operated for more than 16 years. - In 2025, Loyd J. Bourgeois Injury & Accident Lawyer committed to fully funding the local program. - The goal is to enroll more than half of all eligible children in the parish.

The details: - Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a partnership between The Dollywood Foundation and local program partners worldwide. - The Dollywood Foundation handles book selection, publisher relationships, printing and monthly delivery. - Local partners fund participation, enroll families and build community support. - United Way of St. Charles said it has worked with local donors and volunteers to keep the program open to every eligible child in the parish. - The parish program has never capped enrollment. - The local partnership covers book and mailing costs for every enrolled child. - Families can learn more and enroll at program information. - Loyd J. Bourgeois Injury & Accident Lawyer also directs readers to the firm's website for legal services and consultations.

Between the lines: - The funding commitment helps avoid the enrollment limits and waiting lists that affect some Imagination Library programs in other communities. - The milestone is also a sign that a local early-literacy effort can scale when community groups, donors and a private sponsor stay engaged over time. - Research cited by the program points to stronger early literacy skills and better family reading habits among enrolled children, but those findings come from a broader international study rather than the parish program alone. - Among U.S. participants in that study, children were 11 times more likely to show interest in books, 15 times more likely to actively participate during shared reading and nearly three times more likely to demonstrate early concepts about print.

What's next: - United Way of St. Charles will keep pushing enrollment above 50% of eligible children. - Every child in St. Charles Parish from birth until age 5 remains eligible, regardless of household income. - The local program is expected to keep sending one free book each month to enrolled children as long as funding holds.

The bottom line: - St. Charles Parish has turned a literacy program into a broad community investment, and the next target is reaching even more young children before kindergarten.