The Year One pilot launches in three children’s hospitals located in Des Moines, Iowa City, and Indianapolis, with plans for future expansion.
A Children’s Hospital Literacy Program
The Hospital Experience Through a Child’s Eyes
Hospital stays are filled with procedures, waiting, and unfamiliar routines. For children, so much of the experience is out of their control.
What to eat. Where to go. What happens next.
The rhythms of normal life are replaced with schedules they didn’t choose and experiences they don’t fully understand (and are oftentimes painful). Even the smallest decisions are made for them, and over time, that loss of choice is exhausting and overwhelming.
But in the middle of uncertainty, one small moment of choice can begin to restore a sense of comfort, courage, and control.
Choice, Delivered With Care
Through a partnership with Scholastic, the Caitlin Clark Foundation is piloting Turning Pages, Healing Hearts in select children’s hospitals across the Midwest.
Each participating hospital receives:
- A dedicated book vending machine
- A thoughtfully curated selection of books, refreshed quarterly
- A token-based system that allows children to choose their own book
- Program materials that support engagement and encouragement
Children earn tokens through moments already happening in their care journey. Completing a procedure. Being brave during a tough moment. Reaching a milestone. Preparing to go home.
Those tokens unlock something simple and powerful.
A book of their choosing.
More Than Books
Books are the heart of the program, but the experience extends beyond the machine.
Each quarter includes:
- Keepsake bookmarks
- Quarterly book themes
- Joy Packets filled with coloring pages and word searches
These elements invite siblings, parents, and caregivers into shared moments of connection, helping the experience ripple beyond the patient.
Built On
6 Pillars of Promise
Turning Pages, Healing Hearts is grounded in six guiding principles that shape every part of the program.
Connection
Helping families stay connected to one another and the world beyond the hospital walls.
Continuous Learning
Supporting literacy and curiosity during extended hospital stays and recovery periods.
Choice
Restoring agency by allowing children to choose their own books.
Compassion
Softening medical moments through imagination, story, and kindness.
Comfort
Offering emotional care for patients, siblings, and parents alike.
Celebration
Honoring bravery, progress, and milestones, big and small.
Turning Pages, Healing Hearts is intentionally designed to integrate seamlessly into hospital environments. Each hospital receives a dedicated book vending machine and approximately 4,000 books annually, replenished quarterly to ensure variety and relevance throughout the year.
12,000+ Books
will be placed directly into the hands of children and families during the pilot year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do children receive books?
Children earn tokens through moments such as completing a procedure, showing bravery, or reaching care milestones. Tokens are used to select a book of their choice from an on-site vending machine.
Why use a vending machine?
Book vending machines restore a sense of choice and independence in environments where autonomy is limited. The model allows children to actively select their own book, reinforcing agency and personal ownership.
What kinds of books are included?
Books are curated and selected to reflect a wide range of themes, including comfort, humor, bravery, imagination, family, and healing. Selections are refreshed quarterly to remain relevant and emotionally supportive.
Where is the program launching?
The Year One pilot launches in three children’s hospitals located in Des Moines, Iowa City, and Indianapolis, with plans for future expansion.
How do children receive books?
Children earn tokens through moments such as completing a procedure, showing bravery, or reaching care milestones. Tokens are used to select a book of their choice from an on-site vending machine.
Why use a vending machine?
Book vending machines restore a sense of choice and independence in environments where autonomy is limited. The model allows children to actively select their own book, reinforcing agency and personal ownership.
What kinds of books are included?
Books are curated and selected to reflect a wide range of themes, including comfort, humor, bravery, imagination, family, and healing. Selections are refreshed quarterly to remain relevant and emotionally supportive.
