Booktrust announce renewed funding for bookgifting

Funding for Booktrust secured until 2015, with a new task to develop schemes to target disadvantaged two-year-olds

The Government has announced that Booktrust will continue to receive a grant to enable it to deliver its bookgifting programmes for babies, toddlers and children. As well as the universal Bookstart scheme,  Ministers have asked the charity to develop and deliver a new programme that will target the most disadvantaged two-year-olds.

Booktrust will receive £6m in 2013-14 and a further £6m in 2014-15 to provide these bookgifting programmes.

The Department for Education (DfE) believes improving literacy and promoting a love of reading are fundamental to all children achieving their potential. Bookgifting is one approach the DfE is supporting to promote proficient, prolific reading by all children. The Government is committed to supporting parents from the earliest years of their child's life, and improving literacy for all young people. 

Booktrust's successful Bookstart programme is now in its 20^th year. Since 1992 it has delivered over 40 million free books to more than eight million children. 

Booktrust CEO, Viv Bird, expressed delight at the Government's decision:

I am grateful to ministers for this vote of confidence in the work of Booktrust, and their recognition of the importance of reading for pleasure. Our Bookstart scheme is a great British idea, copied around the world and I want to thank our many partners, in publishing, libraries, children's settings and elsewhere, who have contributed to our success.

I am also excited that the Government wants to use our expertise to develop a new scheme targeted at disadvantaged two-year-olds. We look forward to the challenge of delivering a successful scheme - especially as this proposal fits with our wider vision of giving every child the chance to discover the joy of reading, and the lifelong benefits that it brings.

The new bookgifting programme, funded by DfE, will include a book gift targeted at two-year-olds taking up their free early education place. Currently every local authority funds some free early education for two-year-olds from low-income households and is looking to increase the number they reach ahead of the introduction of the new two-year-old entitlement in September 2013. 

This scheme will provide quality books from respected authors and illustrators, with a title selection process that draws upon the judgement of independent experts in the field of children's literacy and literature. There will be titles suitable for children with additional needs and accessible supporting materials will be provided for parents so that they can share books, rhymes and stories with their children in the home. 

Free entitlement for two-year-olds

Around 130,000 two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours free early education from September 2013 and around 260,000 from September 2014. The new entitlement will provide a free early education place for children who meet the criteria also used to establish school-aged children's eligibility for free school meals and looked after children. Ministers are considering their response to a recent consultation on proposed eligibility criteria for the second phase to be introduced from September 2014. The proposals were to retain the eligibility criteria from the first phase and extend to children with special educational needs or disabilities (regardless of their families income) or are in receipt of disability living allowance; and two-year-olds who have left care through an adoption order, special guardianship or residence order.