Ferst Readers was founded in 1999 to address the growing problem of children, many from from low-income communities, entering kindergarten without basic early literacy skills and school readiness, a preventable problem that has far-reaching impacts throughout students' lives. The recipe for early school success is simple: start school with strong literacy skills. Ferst Readers's recipe for encouraging early literacy development is even simpler. Ensure children have developmentally-appropriate books in their home and provide parents with resources that support them in their role as their child's first teacher. Children in the Ferst Readers literacy program receive a bookstore-quality, age-specific book and resources mailed to them at home every month until their fifth birthday. It's this access to print that helps create a language-rich environment in the home. Cobb Community Foundation serves as the fiscal agent for Ferst Readers of Cobb County.