2-4-2 Book Project: A New Way to Connect

What if you were a young child, whose life has been in upheaval? What if the voices that are supposed to be calming and comforting to you have been screaming at others, or calling out in pain for most of your life? What if you were removed from your mother or father's care, and placed with a foster family? Or removed from one parent and placed with the other?

You'd be pretty scared, right? Even if you got used to your surroundings, there is no place like home. No place like mom's lap while she reads you a story. No place like the chair where you snuggle with dad as he reads your favorite book to you.

Judge Constance Cohen came up with an amazing and simple idea: what if the noncustodial parent could read the same book to the child every day over the phone while the child snuggles a blanket or stuffed animal that smells like their parent?

And so the 2-4-2 Book Project was born. With 2-4-2, the non-custodial parent and the custodian are provided a copy of a book. They work together to determine a good time of each day to call, and the noncustodial parent reads the book to the child while the caretaker turns the pages if needed. If it is an older child, they can alternate with the parent reading pages or paragraphs. This routine gives the child a connection with their parent, and lends predictability to their day.

This program is an excellent way to continue to build and repair the relationship between the child and the parent. The routine of a daily call to read the book supports brain development, healthy attachment between parent and child, and trust. The child can learn to associate mom or dad's smell and voice with something that is comforting and enjoyable. Plus, all of the benefits of reading - speech development, stipulation, reading comprehension, communication, motor skills, school readiness, memory development, and focus!

If you are a caretaker for a child, or a parent whose child has been removed, as the Department of Human Services about this program!