Bonding Through Books

Bonding Through Books: NICU Family Literacy Program

Project Overview – Although early literacy programs aimed at infants (0-2) have enjoyed considerable success around the world, little attention has been paid to the particular needs of NICU/ICN infants in the context of early childhood literacy. Moreover, most literacy programs emphasize text-based reading rather than more expansive and multicultural forms of visual storytelling. With Bonding through Books, ABaD seeks to combine visual art, language, and physical space to create a culturally sensitive, holistic framework of support for babies, their families and caregivers/medical providers in NICUs/ICNs.

Why ABaD?– Our focus on multicultural communities and our collaborations with healthcare providers have laid the foundation for Bonding through Books. Since 2020, ABaD has been partnering with three pediatric nonprofits, supporting multilingual, Latinx, and LGBTQIA+ patients (Puentes de Salud, Philadelphia FIGHT, UPenn Mobile Dental Clinic). We collaborate with a mobile dental program that provides oral care to underserved communities to distribute books and provide specially designed recipe cards, dental hygiene tips, and how-to guides to foster awareness about oral health and nutrition.