Wales will soon become the only country in the UK to lose the free scheme of baby books. This program, called Bookstart, is administered by BookTrust Cymru. Parents, educators, and child development advocates overwhelmingly opposed this shortsighted decision. Beyond Words highlights how early literacy is key to building healthy family connections and creating positive educational trajectories.
Children between the ages of 0-5 can receive two free Bookstart packs. You typically get the initial pack at your child’s six-month health check, with a follow-up pack provided at the 27-month health check. Each Baby pack comes with a free bilingual book, and parents receive convenient advice about how they can help their children’s literacy develop from this very early age. Health visitors pass these packs out to thousands of new parents each year, making it a family’s most common first resource for help.
Sioned Jones, director of BookTrust Cymru, expressed her dismay over the decision, stating, “The fact that the effects of this decision will be felt by Wales’ most vulnerable children is heartbreaking.” The programme’s aim is much more than just literacy instruction. It intentionally promotes more meaningful interactions between kids and their caregivers, particularly in those critical early formative years.
To families like Jess and Ravi that the loss of the Bookstart programme is due to happen next March would be particularly alarming. Jess noted that her six-month-old daughter enjoys handling and sometimes chewing books, an early indication of engagement with reading materials. Ravi and his wife Judith have been reading with their two-year-old son Samir in Cardiff, Wales. Like you, they understand that shared reading is crucial to their child’s development.
BookTrust Cymru wants to remind everyone that their work is not just about promoting literacy. It’s about developing those crucial bonds within families. The programme features extra targeted components that cost £370,000 annually. Sadly, funding for all these elements will cease when Adnodd’s grant funding runs out in March 2026.
In response to this situation, the Welsh government stated, “We have asked Adnodd to ensure that there is no gap in provision.” Adnodd then elaborated that any future early years literacy program will be subjected to an open and competitive procurement process. This is a process through which suppliers, including BookTrust, can apply to deliver services. In doing so, they made it clear that they remained committed to ensuring all children in Wales achieve strong literacy outcomes.
However reassuring these assurances may be, there are questions about whether they can avoid the fallout from ending the Bookstart programme. Nicola Davies, the Children’s Laureate for Wales, described the decision as “crazy,” highlighting that it negatively impacts not only children’s reading skills but family relationships. She pointed out that many parents under financial and time constraints often resort to screens for entertainment rather than nurturing reading habits.
Sharing a love of reading with children, Jones stressed, should not be confined to literacy during the first 1,000 days. Rather, it should focus on how to make the deepest connections. She expressed her irritation at the lack of impact assessments. She is especially worried about the impact of this decision on children growing up in poverty in Wales.
Discussions are currently taking place to establish possible replacement forms to the Bookstart programme. Together, stakeholders are advocating for comprehensive solutions that put early childhood literacy first and offer more resources to families in these formative years.
