Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Faces Funding Cuts in Indiana

The state's proposed budget removes financial support for the literacy program, prompting calls for restoration.

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.