P2.122: Adapting an Early Literacy Promotion Program for Student-Run Free Clinics and Promoting Community Partnerships

Background: Literacy and health are closely connected, as adults with limited literacy experience poorer health outcomes and lower utilization of primary care services. The "million-word gap" between disadvantaged and affluent families is further exacerbated by racial inequities, as Black and Hispanic adults score lower on literacy assessments than White counterparts. In the Inland Empire (IE), one of California’s most medically underserved regions, with a population comprised of 50% Hispanic and 8% Black, alongside a 19% higher education attainment rate and 17.3-23.5% poverty rate, addressing these disparities is crucial.

Studies support early literacy promotion to improve health and educational outcomes. Reach Out and Read (ROR), an evidence-based program, provides free books at well-child visits, utilizing books for developmentally-appropriate care to encourage literacy, early relational health, and resilience through shared reading with caregivers. Riverside Free Clinic (RFC), a bi-weekly student-run free clinic (SRFC) supported by the local county hospital, provides free healthcare services to the underserved IE.

This project aims to model a feasible, community-based, ROR-inspired literacy promotion program at SRFCs for families who may lack access to pediatric care and well-child visits, via partnerships between RFC and ROR Inland Empire (RORIE).

Methods: As California’s AAP Chapters manage ROR, we initiated partnerships with RORIE through in-person discussions at local AAP Chapter events. When discussing shared goals and the importance of well-child visits for ROR, but the lack of well-child visits at RFC, a book donation partnership was proposed. The proposal aligned ROR with RFC’s mission to eliminate health disparities, the expected community impact of free books, and our goal of adapting ROR principles to RFC. Finally, we proposed our partnership and literacy promotion program to the RFC Board for approval.

Results: We secured a donation of 300 books (150 in English, 150 in Spanish) from RORIE alongside an ongoing partnership for program sustainability. During patients’ wait, families indicate an interest in ‘Free Children’s Books’ through RFC’s Resource checklist. Undergraduate clinic volunteers provide free books with educational materials on developmental milestones and free community developmental screening services, alongside effective reading strategies.

Since initiation (10/30/24 - 4/4/2025), 24 books have been distributed for children between ages 2-11 years old, and 3 families have returned. The program continues to be refined, and data collection is ongoing.

Conclusion: This project models the feasibility of implementing a ROR-inspired, literacy promotion program at SRFCs to potentially promote early literacy, early relational health, and access to developmental screenings in community-based settings. California’s ROR support via AAP Chapters facilitates centralized book sourcing and administration. Future directions include expanding the program’s support for children over five years old via partnership with local libraries, formal training programs for volunteers, and research studies assessing the program’s impact on childhood literacy and health equity in underserved communities.