Missouri's costly cut to young readers (opens original article in a new tab)

Missouri's budget cuts $4 million from a state-funded book-gifting program for young children, threatening to stop new enrollments and existing deliveries when funds run out.

• Missouri's budget cuts $4 million from a state-funded book-gifting program for young children
• The program, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, provides free books to children from birth to age 5
• The cut will stop new enrollments in July and end existing deliveries when funds run out
• The program was previously fully funded by Missouri since 2024 and distributed 1.9 million books in 2025