Strengthening the Bond Between Parent and Child

The first voice a newborn hears is that of its mother and loving and soothing as they feed and talk to them. It is a life-long bond that Staying in Closer Touch works to sustain and strengthen when parents cannot be with the child.

Each week volunteers enter correctional facilities to connect with mothers, fathers and grandparents to help them select a book for their child. We record them reading to their child, and the recording, the brand new book and a personal, artistically created card by the parent is sent to the child. This is the core of our work.

Our goal is to encourage love of reading and books by the link created between the parent and their child. Not only can the child hear mom or dad, but they can read along with them. In addition, we encourage the parent to talk about the images and colors as they read through the book thus furthering an appreciation of the art and images that help tell the story. And, another benefit is that some parents do not have strong literacy skills, and this gives them a chance to enhance their skills.

Staying in Closer Touch is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Children’s Literacy Network provided critical support to SICT as we began our work and has been very supportive as we transitioned to being an independent organization in 2023. In the summer of 2024, SICT moved into office space at Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor. This is a wonderful new home for our work, and we are grateful for the warm welcome we have received there.

The Michigan Department of Corrections has been wholly supportive of our efforts as has the Washtenaw County Jail and the Federal Correctional System.