Away with Words Book Bus

The Away with Words Book Bus offers:

• Supervised family visits in a calm, book-filled space, creating a more natural and nurturing alternative to DCS offices.
• Free, diverse books for children and families to choose from and keep, helping build home libraries even in temporary or transitional housing.
• Literacy-based parenting workshops that use shared book reading as a platform to model and support positive parent-child interactions.
• Pop-up visits to local daycares, early learning centers, and community events to promote literacy and early childhood development across the region.
• Interactive read-alouds and themed activities designed to foster imagination, emotional connection, and language skills.
• Resources and referrals for caregivers who want to support their child's development through storytelling and connection.

Our focus is on children and families who often face barriers to literacy and relational support, including:

• Children in state custody, including foster care, kinship care, or awaiting reunification.
• Parents and caregivers participating incourt-ordered supervised visits or working toward family reunification.
• Foster and kinship families in need of trauma-informed, literacy-rich engagement tools
• Daycare providers and community-based early learning programs looking to enhance their reading environments.
• Families inSullivan, Washington, and Carter Counties, with an emphasis on rural and underserved communities.

The Away with Words Book Bus travels throughout Northeast Tennessee, partnering with:

• Local DCS offices and family service agencies to host supervised visits on the bus.
• Daycares and preschools to provide early literacy outreach and storytime programming.
• Libraries, schools, community centers, and faith-based organizations to host events and workshops.
• Educators, therapists, and trauma-informed volunteers who help create safe, engaging spaces for children and families.