Missouri state lawmakers have slashed funding for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library from $6 million to $2 million for the 2027 fiscal year, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
The budget cut will freeze all new enrollments across the state beginning July 1, although children currently registered will continue to receive books for now.
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The statewide expansion, launched in 2023 under former Governor Mike Parson, aimed to provide free, age-appropriate books monthly to every child under age six.
The program now faces a potential end when its contract expires in December.
As of March, the initiative supported over 169,000 active children in Missouri and shipped approximately 500,000 books in the first quarter of 2026 alone, with high participation in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass counties.
Former Governor Mike Parson previously praised the statewide implementation during a launch event with Dolly Parton at the Folly Theater in Kansas City.
"Missouri is the only state in the union right now that fully funds this program," Parson said.
Concerns Over School Readiness
Nonprofit leaders expressed deep concern about the long-term impact on school readiness and early childhood development for families who depend on the free resources.
"Children are walking in the door to kindergarten, not ready, and this was a way to bring that focus into the home and to give parents a consistent and reliable tool for weaving reading into their daily life from birth," said Kristin Droege, executive director of Turn the Page KC.
The program has historically generated enthusiasm among young readers, fostering positive family moments and routine reading habits.
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"It's like a present comes to them every month, and it really changes their view, not only about reading, but just about, you know, that moment of my family and having a good time around this book every month," Droege added.
Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library as a tribute to her father, who struggled with illiteracy.
"I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my daddy," Parton said.
"Now, he was one of the wisest men I've ever known, but I knew in my heart this inability to read probably kept him from seeing all his dreams come true.
So inspiring kids to love to read became my passion and my mission."
Education officials warned that the program cannot sustain its statewide footprint without full state funding.
"We'll have to have some modifications or the program actually could end when the contract ends at the end of this calendar year," said Kyle Kruse, deputy commissioner of the Division of Financial and Administrative Services at DESE.
The state legislature pulled funds from alternate accounts to balance education shortages, reflecting wider fiscal contractions across urban teaching and workforce initiatives.
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"We are entering a time when resources are going to be more limited and restricted," Kruse said.
