Deputy Steven Matthews, Green TD for Wicklow, is encouraging parents to collect their free book bags for children starting school in September. Discussing the First Five My Little Library Scheme, Deputy Matthews said:
“My Green Party colleague and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD, recently launched the First Five My Little Library Scheme to provide free books to children starting Junior Infants in September 2022. This is a wonderful initiative which will assist young children in the transition to primary school and ensure that every child can benefit from reading and stories. So far, 19,000 book bags have been collected at a national level which is only one third of those available since the scheme was introduced in April.
“I would encourage every parent with a child starting school in September to visit their local library during the summer break to collect their free bag of books. Each book bag contains three books on starting school, making friends and developing self-confidence, a story card on visiting the library, a postcard the child can write or draw on and give to their new teacher, a special library card and a ‘My Little Library’ cardholder. The young readers will be invited to continue their journey with the library and refill their bag with borrowed books.
“The My Little Library Book Bags will be available for collection until the start of the 2022/2023 academic year in September. This initiative is one of many measures that the Green Party is implementing in Government to transform supports for early years in Ireland”, Deputy Matthews concluded.
Comments