Overview

• Indiana's proposed budget eliminates the state's 50% funding match for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program that provides free books to children under 5.
• The program, which costs $30 per child annually, has been funded in part by state governments and local charities, with Indiana previously allocating $2.5 million for it in 2024-25.
• More than 15,000 children in Indiana currently benefit from the program, which operates in all 92 counties of the state.
• Dolly Parton and her representatives have urged Governor Mike Braun and state lawmakers to reinstate the funding, emphasizing the program's bipartisan support and impact on early childhood literacy.
• If state funding is not restored, local organizations like United Way and community foundations may face increased financial pressure to sustain the program.