Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy

About the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy

Former first lady Barbara Bush chose literacy as her life’s work based on a simple, but powerful belief: “If more people could read, write, and comprehend, we would be that much closer to solving so many of the problems plaguing our society.” Since she established the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy in 1989, research has continually proven her right, linking literacy to some of the most pressing issues of our time.

Over the past three decades, the Barbara Bush Foundation has supported literacy programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, but there is still much work left to be done. Low literacy remains a silent and enduring issue of equity, preventing 130 million American adults from fully engaging in our society as parents, workers, and citizens—impacting our nation today and for generations to come.

Today, the Barbara Bush Foundation is laser-focused on bridging the equity gap and breaking the multigenerational cycle of low literacy by improving the skills of adults—parents and caregivers. The Foundation is a public charity committed to building a stronger, more equitable America through Literacy. Our Foundation is unique in the field because we are:

•        Focused on Family Literacy – Implementing and supporting programs that reach parents and caregivers to break the multigenerational cycle of low literacy

•        A National Organization – Providing guidance, research, support, and thought leadership to the larger literacy field

•        An Operating Foundation – Creating or supporting promising programs that have the ability to scale or replicate across the country

•        Relevant and Current – Highlighting literacy’s link to today’s most pressing issues