U.S. Navy Child and Youth Programs (CYP) has launched a new reading program to strengthen children’s literacy and bonds between military families.
In collaboration with the nonprofit group United Through Reading (UTR), the partnership will equip Navy installations with books, literacy resources, mobile story stations, and other tools to support children’s early reading and development.
It will also help families stay connected when they are separated during deployments, allowing them to read stories over the phone or on video calls while not physically together. The endeavor begins now and will last for eight months.
All in all, it will deliver 24,850 books for children and young people, 165,000 bookmarks designed to encourage daily reading habits, 100,000 early literacy guides to provide resources to families with young children, 65 in-person events, and other resources to support naval families.
“Military life can place unique demands on families, from deployments and extended duty hours to frequent relocations that take Sailors away from home. Maintaining strong family connections is essential to Sailors’ well-being and their families’ resilience,” said Vice Adm. Brad Collins, commander of Navy Installations Command, in a statement.
Military.com reached out to the Navy for comment and more details, including the cost and resources associated with it. No response was received as of publication.
Timeline of Events to Give Families ‘Practical’ Connections
Starting this month, the initiative will kick off with the launch of early literacy guides distributed alongside festive, Halloween-themed reading bookmarks.
The momentum will build into December 2026 with a massive winter shipment delivering thousands of carefully curated books to children and young adults.
As the new year begins in January, the focus will shift to the youngest readers through the rollout of specialized “From Day One” literacy guides designed specifically for parents of infants.
This is followed in March 2027 by a major spring book distribution targeting the youth of all age groups. The program’s grand finale in April 2027 will celebrate its conclusion with commemorative “Month of the Military Child” bookmarks.
“Our partnership with United Through Reading reflects CNIC’s commitment to improving quality of service by giving military families practical ways to stay connected, even when duty keeps them apart,” Collins said.
In-person events will take place in major fleet concentration areas including Region Northwest, San Diego, Hampton Roads, Naval District Washington and Florida.
Navy Also Getting Adults to Read
The Navy is also encouraging its adult sailors to read.
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman released “MCPON’s Bookshelf” on Sept. 23. It is a professional resource and recommends books that cover a range of themes, including understanding the Navy and mastering a rating, to leadership and personal development.
“My goal isn’t for every sailor to read the same books,” Perryman said at the time. “It’s to build a habit of learning.”
Service members can also already access thousands of free ebooks and audiobooks through public-library apps and the DOD MWR Digital Library.
