Literacy in early childhood is a researched and reliable predictor of many health, achievement, and quality of life benchmarks as children reach adolescence and adulthood. The Child Health Symposium is a critical convening space that enables us as a community to collectively leverage our expertise, resources, and voices to close the literacy gap and help set our children on a pathway to success as they grow and mature, ultimately enabling them to thrive and build a stronger community.
ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 8, 2026) – Research shows that a child’s third grade reading proficiency is a strong indicator of future educational, economic, and societal advancement. Unfortunately, far too many children continue to fall behind. In an effort to help address and close literacy and learning gaps among children, nearly 600 child advocates, experts and thought leaders from Central Florida’s healthcare, community nonprofit, education, business, and public policy sectors came together today for the Ginsburg Institute at Nemours Children’s Health’s fourth annual Child Health Symposium in Orlando.
“Literacy in early childhood is a researched and reliable predictor of many health, achievement, and quality of life benchmarks as children reach adolescence and adulthood,” said Nancy Molello, Vice President of the Ginsburg Institute at Nemours Children’s Health. “The Child Health Symposium is a critical convening space that enables us as a community to collectively leverage our expertise, resources, and voices to close the literacy gap and help set our children on a pathway to success as they grow and mature, ultimately enabling them to thrive and build a stronger community.”
With literacy and early childhood education as focal points, attendees representing hundreds of organizations explored literacy as a foundational social driver of health and achievement while collectively working to develop strategies and solutions to close literacy gaps impacting children. Various breakout and working sessions enabled attendees to jointly ideate and co-design a future where every doctor’s appointment, capital investment, community initiative, and policy decision treated literacy as a critical determinate factor of a child’s well-being.
Attendees also heard a deep, thought-provoking keynote from New York Times bestselling author Dana L. Suskind, MD, which highlighted the intersection between literacy, human connection, and health outcomes. Each attendee was also able to receive a copy of Dr. Suskind’s newest book, "Human Raised: Nurturing Curiosity, Connection, and Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI."
“Early learning and literacy lay the foundation for children’s success in school and in life,” said Madeleine Thakur, president & CEO of The Children’s Movement of Florida. “The Child Health Symposium is a tremendous platform for like-minded organizations and change-agents working to give every child the opportunity to thrive, and I’m grateful to be among so many others who are committed to ensuring the next generation can prosper.”
Established in 2023, the Child Health Symposium is Central Florida’s premier venue for collaboration and solutions that help the community better navigate social drivers that impact the lives of children across the region. The event continues to grow, with the 2026 symposium drawing its largest group of attendees since its inception.
To date, the Ginsburg Institute has funded and/or supported more than 130 community initiatives and programs in Central Florida. In addition, the Ginsburg Institute has established the Children’s Health Collaborative, a coalition of more than 170 Central Florida organizations that work together to collectively and collaboratively address issues like quality education, economic stability, food security, and mental health to help improve the health and well-being of children.
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About Nemours Children's Health
Nemours Children’s Health is one of the nation’s largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two free-standing children's hospitals and a network of 80 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also addressing children’s needs well beyond medicine. In producing the highly acclaimed, award-winning pediatric medicine podcast Well Beyond Medicine, Nemours underscores that commitment by featuring the people, programs and partnerships addressing Whole Child Health. Nemours Children's also powers the world’s most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org.
The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org
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