Yonkers St. John’s Riverside Hospital and library launch 'Born to Read' program

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A new initiative from St. John’s Riverside Hospital and the Yonkers Public Library will give new families to help teach their kids how to read. The program is called the Born to Read initiative. It gives every new parent a special care package with a board book, a Yonkers Public Library card and early literacy development information. The program encourages parents to read aloud to their kids and create bonding time for families and help improve childhood education and development and give kids more support as they grow up. “One of the best ways you can do that is to read to your newborn child every day. Studies show that about 80% of brain development happens in the first three years of life,” said Jesse Montero, director of the Yonkers Public Library. The care packages are a gift from the Foundation for the Yonkers Public Library. Both the hospital and library said the program was recently launched and so far, only one family has been involved in the program. But they are hoping that more new families will also be a part of it. "