“Dubs NICU Reads” is a student-led initiative developed in partnership with UW Speech and Hearing Clinic. Launched in 2026, the program brings the power of books to babies and their families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a space where early connection matters most. Master’s students Sara Smith (MedSLP ‘26) and Lili Correa (MedSLP ‘26) initiated the program with Kate Krings, Teaching Professor in SPHSC, by expanding the long-standing Dubs READS program in partnership with UW Medical Center NICU. 

Reading aloud supports early brain and language development, reduces parental stress, and builds powerful emotional bonds between caregivers and their infants. To support this, the program provides families with thoughtfully designed reading kits, each containing a high quality board book, a note from a former NICU family, and an informational handout offering evidence-based guidance on how and why to read to babies in the NICU. The SPHSC graduate students deliver the book kits on a volunteer basis and are eager to expand the program to other NICU sites and to develop additional resources for parents. You can contact dubsnicureads@uw.edu with questions.

Read about the original SPHSC Dubs READs program here.