U.S. Representatives Peter Meijer (R-MI) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) today introduced their bipartisan Children’s Literacy Initiative on Military Bases (CLIMB) Act of 2022. The bill would permanently authorize the popular programs on military installations and at military treatment facilities that help improve childhood literacy in military families. Originally authorized as a five-year pilot program in the Fiscal Year 2006 NDAA, this successful program provides age-appropriate books to children twice a year during their wellness checks at ages 0-5.
“The young children of our active duty servicemembers deserve access to the best and most comprehensive care,” said Rep. Meijer. “We have seen the tremendous health benefits of early literacy promotion throughout our communities, and I am proud to join this bipartisan effort to provide these resources for children who are receiving their primary care at military facilities.”
“A lesson I will never forget from my father, a WWII refugee, is that the one thing that can’t be taken away from you is your education,” said Rep. Houlahan. “Growing up as a Navy dependent and then serving myself in the Air Force, I know firsthand the unique pressures military families experience in educating their children. I also spent many years as an educator and leader of a literacy-focused non-profit, so I know early childhood literacy is the key to success. We must invest wisely in our military families and their children. We ask so much of our men and women in uniform; we owe it to them to consistently deliver on our promise to support them by ensuring their children are developing the literacy skills they need to set them up for success down the road.”
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