The Federal Family Ministry intends to discontinue funding for the nationwide reading promotion program “Lesestart 1-2-3” starting in 2027, according to reports from the newspaper Spiegel.
The project is designed to boost language and reading skills in toddlers. Under the program, parents receive free books given out during the U6 and U7 preventive health checks for children aged one and two.
Stiftung Lesen, the organization that administers the project, strongly criticized the planned cancellation, calling it a “fatal signal.” A spokesperson, Laura Trost, argued that early literacy must begin within the family unit, warning that waiting until children attend daycare is too late. She further pointed out that a significant number of toddlers do not attend daycare, while the health check-ups allow almost all one- and two-year-olds across Germany to participate. Additionally, books are available in participating libraries for three-year-olds.
The initiative, existing in a similar form since 2011, has received nearly 40 million euros in funding from the Ministry over its 15-year history. The Ministry has stated that, in line with standard project funding logic, the financial aid is time-limited. Nevertheless, the Ministry emphasized the critical nature of reading competence for educational success, confirming that it continues to support research into literacy and various projects for other age groups.
