The Ballarat Foundation’s Ballarat Reads program brings Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to Ballarat.
Sponsor a child
The idea is simple: mail every child in Ballarat, every month, an appropriate book, especially chosen for their age and developmental stage, for the first five years of their life so that when they get to school, books are already a part of their life.
The research is clear; children who have books around them before they get to school will succeed. Children who have no books, without the love of reading, start the race behind and they never catch up…
The program is free for parents or guardians to enrol any child, regardless of income living in the 3350, 3351, 3352, 3355, 3356, 3357 postcodes.
The money to pay for the books and postage is raised by the community through the Ballarat Foundation and it costs just $180 per child, per year. That’s only $15 a month to put a quality book into the hands of a child here in our community.
So help us to make Ballarat a reading city, where the love of reading leads to learning and improves chances of success for our children and their futures.
How it works
The Ballarat Reads program, in partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Penguin Books and local community partners, will deliver high-quality books to homes each month for kids aged birth to 5 years. In addition, it will provide support and resources to families as well as community events to make reading fun and engaging for children!
Become a sponsor of the Ballarat Reads program by gifting a regular monthly or yearly donation for a Ballarat child, or children, from birth to their fifth birthday.
Become a sponsor now!
- 1 child $15 per month ($180 annually)
- 2 children $30 per month ($360 annually)
- 3 children $45 per month ($540 annually)
- 1 child for a year ($180)
- 2 children for a year ($360)
- 3 children for a year ($540)
- Alternatively, you can sponsor a child through the entire program $900 (birth to age 5)
The waiting list for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library currently exceeds program capacity and therefore registrations for the program through the Ballarat Foundation are not currently open. Please check back soon for updates.
Thank you to our generous Sponsors