Missouri has reduced state funding for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a programme that provides free books to children under five. The cut, part of the state’s fiscal year 2027 budget, means no new enrolments will be accepted from 1 July, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The Imagination Library, launched by Parton in 1995, expanded to Missouri in 2023 and currently serves over 170,000 children. Michelle Anthony, regional director for the Dollywood Foundation, warned that existing funds would sustain the programme for only about four more months, after which children across the state could lose access to monthly books.
The funding reduction is part of wider education cuts in Missouri’s budget, which also affect the Workforce Diploma and Urban Teaching initiatives. The state’s main education funding system is under strain, with lawmakers shifting funds from other sources to fill gaps.
Anthony said the Dollywood Foundation would not renew its contract at the reduced funding level. The programme’s future in Missouri remains uncertain once the current contract expires in December. Local organisations or counties may choose to fund and coordinate the programme independently.
In March, Kentucky lawmakers initially cut funding for the Imagination Library but later reversed the decision, restoring support for over 138,000 children. The programme has delivered more than 300 million books worldwide and reaches about one in six US children under five.
