Happily, the Government has done a U-turn on its decision to withdraw all funding from Bookstart, and although the programme will be greatly reduced, it will continue to bring benefits to young children and their families.
Administered by Booktrust, the Bookstart programme has for many years ensured that all children in the UK receive free packs of books at key stages in their development. There is significant evidence that this gift of carefully selected books, along with the information leaflets that come with them, has made a positive difference to their lives.
Nevertheless, the Government last December announced its intention to withdraw all funding from the programme - a move that shocked early years and library communities, and led to considerable concern among professionals and parents that this valuable resource was about to be lost.
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