Many refugee families with young children come to Springfield without a full literacy base in their native language. This makes it a challenge to learn a new language, and help get their children ready to read. "Family Literacy Fun" engages non-native English speakers in a fun, interactive, hands-on way to help improve their literacy and demonstrate how they can read to their children and practice early literacy skills at home.

A Women’s Refugee Support Group met in the library with young children. We optimized resources by connecting Jewish Family Services, Home City Families and the Forest Park Library, and developed a new program to address both the children’s literacy skills as well as their own. Led by an instructor, an interpreter and library staff, eight women met for six weeks and asked to extend the program. A group from another country will join in September.

The women learned new skills, improved their English, built their confidence in sharing stories with their children and formed bonds with each other. They improved their own literacy skills as well as helped get their children ready to read by practicing at home. We are developing trusting relationships with them and they are growing more comfortable coming to the library as a safe, third place where they get help, expand their knowledge and build community.