City’s First Readers (CFR), a New York City Council funded initiative comprised of 17 nonprofit organizations to foster the literacy development of children birth through five, is proud to announce that their latest research into the population-level impact of integrated early literacy programs has been selected for an oral presentation at the 97th annual Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS)meeting in Boston, MA.
The abstract, titled “Population-level integration of early literacy programs across health care and community settings: Evidence for reach and impact,” was chosen from thousands of submissions for its innovative approach to Early Relational Health (ERH) and will be presented during the Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics: Parenting session on April 25. The study highlights the successful efforts of City’s First Readers (CFR) to unite healthcare programs administered by their partners, Reach Out and Read and PlayReadVIP with community, library, and education partners across New York City.
Bridging the Gap Between Clinic and Community
The research demonstrates that when pediatric literacy programs are horizontally integrated across systems and sectors, they create a “scalable public health model” that significantly boosts family engagement. Key findings from the study include:
- Massive Scale: CFR partners have distributed over 2 million books and literacy kits across 500+ sites.
- Professional Training: Over 1,000 professionals have been trained to incorporate ERH guidance into daily family interactions.
- Measurable Impact: Caregiver surveys showed significant increases in reading frequency and the number of books in the home.
“This selection by the PAS Program Committee validates the power of cross-sector collaboration,” said Alan L. Mendelsohn, MD, Co-Author and Professor of Pediatrics at NYU Langone Health. “By linking the pediatric ‘medical home’ with community resources through the CFR model, we aren’t just giving out books; we are fundamentally strengthening the bonds between parents and children across entire populations. This research proves that a coordinated, multi-sector approach is essential for advancing equity and supporting healthy child development.”
Dr. Leora Mogilner, Co-Author and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, emphasized the unique role of the healthcare setting in this ecosystem. “The pediatric exam room is an important opportunity to reach families during the most critical windows of brain development,” said Dr. Mogilner. “By embedding literacy guidance into the clinical visit, we meet families where they already are. This research shows that when we bridge that clinical encounter with community-wide support, we create a safety net that empowers every parent to be their child’s first and best teacher.”
A Collaborative Effort
The research was completed as part of the City’s First Readers (CFR) coalition, showcasing the collective strength of NYC’s literacy advocates. The co-authors on this abstract represent a multidisciplinary team of experts dedicated to pediatric health and development:
- Jessica A. Lizzio, BS (Presenting Author)
- Caitlin F. Canfield, PhD
- Alan L. Mendelsohn, MD
- Emmanuel Novy, MA
- Cynthia O’Connor, BS, MPA
- Lauren Polvere, PhD
- Sandra L. McGinnis, PhD
- Leora Mogilner, MD
The presentation will take place during the Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics: Parenting session on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 12:00 PM at the Boston Convention Center.
To learn more about CFR, please visit www.citysfirstreaders.com or contact Emmanuel Novy, Chief of Strategic Initiatives at enovy@lincnyc.org, 817-360-7075.
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About City’s First Readers (CFR): Established by the New York City Council in 2014, City’s First Readers is an initiative in collaboration with 17 nonprofit organizations and coordinated by Literacy in Community (LINC), fostering the literacy development of children birth through five. The initiative was started to address the literacy crisis in New York City by building a coalition with the capacity to build an equitable city where children start school ready to read. To learn more about CFR, please visit www.citysfirstreaders.com.
