WIP 133 - A QI Pilot on Diversity & Representation: Increasing Access and Assessing Acceptability of Books on Non-Traditional Family Structures within Reach out and Read in the Primary Care Setting

Poster Number: WIP 133
Publication Number: WIP 133.2635

Background: When children see their identities represented in books and media, this promotes their self-esteem, identity development, and allows children to have exposure to different realities that other children may face. Reach out and Read is a national pediatric primary care literacy program that has been instrumental in literacy promotion.
The Fostering Health Program at Hasbro Children's Hospital provides primary and mental healthcare to children in foster, kinship/congregate care and to those adopted, or reunified with their biological parents. We identified a gap within Hasbro Children’s Hospital Reach Out and Read Program, in that it had few books mirroring the non-traditional family structures of children in the Fostering Health Program.

Objective: The overall objective is to create access to books representative of patients within the Fostering Health Program, encourage dyadic engagement and assess acceptability.
Depending on results of this QI project, we aim to advocate for these books to be included in the preferred Reach Out and Read book list in order to increase accessibility. We also aim to further measure outcomes of representation such as communication within families about diverse family structures, self-worth, academic performance, and mental health outcomes.

Design/Methods: We were awarded a clinical quality improvement grant to purchase books recommended by national foster/adoption advocacy organizations. Patients within the Fostering Health Program who were ever in out of home placements were considered eligible for this study. The QI project was explained to families via their licensed healthcare provider. Families were given a book with representation of a nontraditional family structure and then given a knowledge/attitudes survey to assess the acceptability around the book provided.
Surveys are to be collected during well child visits. Surveys are anonymous and de-identified. We aim to obtain data through January of 2024. Our goal is to obtain at least 30 completed surveys.