Reach Out and Read-Alabama goes to Washington

Amy Crosby, Program Director and Kym Middleton, MD, Reach Out and Read-Alabama Alabama Chapter-American Academy of Pediatrics board liaison, traveled to Washington, DC for the Reach Out and Read + Nurture Connection 2025 National Summit in November for a powerful week of learning, reflection, and shared purpose. By centering healthcare through a parent lens and exploring the importance of co-design, collaboration, and connecting families and communities to the medical home, the summit sessions highlighted clinical guidance shaped through partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics and Bright Futures, alongside thoughtful discussions on the periodicity schedule, trust building between clinician and the their patients, and population-level indicators that influence early childhood outcomes. 

Dr. Middleton commented that she had an amazing time at the summit. "It was a great mix of pediatricians, early childhood education, public health, parent advocates and more; a magical collaboration of people passionate about early relational health, building strong families/medical relationships, and child health, development, and well-being! 

“I’ve said it before but Reach Out and Read is such an amazing program! It’s not just about gifting children with books at their well-child visits. It’s also about providing families with the tools they need to nurture their children and to foster a loving and engaging environment. It’s about building a bond between families and their pediatricians. It’s about using books to help children grow, develop, and thrive!”

 This week I learned even more of how impactful this program is, along with its great collaborating programs and partners. I have a lot to read up on, to learn, and to work on but wow! I can’t get over how awesome these people are and how lucky I was to experience this!”