USO Reading Program

Connecting Parents and Children Through Reading -

There’s no replacement for a bedtime snuggle, but the USO Reading Program is one way to help young children cope with a long-term separation due to military life, such as deployment. In the spirit of bringing military families together, the program is largely driven by virtual, on-demand story time offerings that help the USO extend its reach.

The program connected more than 16,000 military families around the world through reading in 2022. The USO Reading Program focuses on:

Bringing story time on demand around the globe. The USO is able to help service members read to their children from around the world. When a service member stationed in the deserts of Kuwait misses the birth of their child, the USO is there to provide that powerful connection back home. Through the USO Reading Program, that service member is able to read their newborn child a bed-time story from halfway around the globe. Service members can walk into participating USO locations, record themselves reading their child’s favorite story and have that recording shipped home.

Helping military kids stay connected through reading. Recognizing the challenges military children often face when dealing with separation, the USO Reading Program makes it possible for military kids to add a new book to their own library and share story time with someone they love by recording themselves reading. The USO sends the recording to the child’s special loved one, helping bring families together no matter the miles that may separate them.