Funding Your Kids Read Now In-Home Reading Program

Your students deserve the support and assistance they need to secure proficient reading skills before entering middle school. In fact, every child deserves access to engaging, educational books and the opportunity to read them. That’s why we established Kids Read Now as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and work diligently to keep our programs affordable for all and eligible for state and federal funding.

Use ESSER funds to address learning recovery and reading recovery acceleration with Kids Read Now

There are a variety of approaches to consider for funding your Kids Read Now program. Did you know that districts can use multiple funding sources to support specific educational initiatives, including ours? K-12 ESSER funds have been a popular choice lately, and in 2023 schools must expend their CRRSA Act (Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations) ESSER funds by September 30th. Round three of ESSER Funds under the ARP Act (American Rescue Plan) need to be expended by September 30, 2024.

Before ESSER funds existed, many of our school district clients chose to employ a combination of other funding sources. For example, a district could use IDEA grant money for their special education students and Title I grant money to cover the remaining students’ access to Kids Read Now. More grant money is usually available for districts serving mid to high-poverty communities.

Conversely, more community money is typically attainable if you are a district serving a more affluent population.

Kids Read Now Programs are Qualified for ESSER, as well as State and Federal Title Funds

Kids Read Now programs qualify and are funded largely through the various ESSER funds and State and Federal Title funds. Our school district partners have also used recent Cares Act funding through GEER and ESSER. Kids Read Now programs qualify and are funded largely through the various ESSER funds and State and Federal Title funds. Our school district partners have also used recent Cares Act funding through GEER and ESSER. Budgeting for a Kids Read Now program depends on program elements and is calculated on a per-student basis.

Considering our summer program, the price is estimated to be less than 3% of the cost of a traditional in-person summer intervention, and it is proven to yield the same or better results. In fact, the successful outcome of our program is stated to be “the equivalent of over 3 months of learning, or approximately one-third of the learning taking place over the school year“, as reported by an Arizona State University research study.

List of Funding Sources To Cover Kids Read Now Programs

Here is a short list of funding opportunities to help you get started. Of course, every state and community will have its unique support systems.