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Make sure that your baby is a Bookstart Baby! |
Bookstart Baby Bag
Every parent or carer living in Northamptonshire will be offered the opportunity to collect a free Bookstart Baby bag when they attend their local clinic for their child's 7-9 month check.
Each Bookstart Baby bag contains two board books, a laminated double sided place mat with rhymes to share with your child, guidance leaflets about the benefits of sharing books with your baby and an invitation to join your child at your local library.
Bookstart Plus Bag
Every parent or carer living in Northamptonshire will be offered the opportunity to collect a free Bookstart Plus bag when they attend their local clinic for their child's two year development check.
This bright red satchel includes two books, a colouring pad and crayons, a book list and guidance material for parents and carers.
My Bookstart Treasure Chest
Every child who is three living in Northamptonshire will be offered the opportunity to receive a free My Bookstart Treasure Chest when they attend their preschool playgroup or nursery. Guidance from national Bookstart advises that parents and carers need to bring their child's health record book (Red Book) with them when they collect this chest.
My Bookstart Treasure Chest includes two picture books, a set of stickers, a colouring pad, coloured pencils, and guidance material for parents and carers. If a child does not go to a preschool group they will be able to collect a chest from their local library.
What is Bookstart?
Bookstart Northamptonshire is a partnership between Northamptonshire Libraries and Information Service, Daventry and South Northants Primary Care Trust , Northampton Primary Care and Northants Heartlands Primary Care Trust.
These organisations are working together to give Bookstart bags to every baby in the county. It is the first national book gifting scheme in the world.
The aim is to foster a lifelong love of books from a very early age. The first Bookstart scheme began in Birmingham in the 1990's. Research has shown that the Bookstart babies had a head start when they began school over children who did not receive a bag.
For more information about Bookstart Northamptonshire contact Linda Holvey, Early Years Bookstart Co-ordinator using the details on the right or call your local library.