A £249,000 grant from education charity SHINE will be used to set up a network of community play libraries across the North, set to benefit more than 16,000 children in early years.
The scheme will be run by early development experts Boromi and will include free play resources in 250 locations.
The five areas selected for the project’s initiation are Carlisle, Preston, Liverpool, County Durham, and Leeds.
An independent evaluation observed a 25 per cent increase in communication skills in children who accessed Boromi bags.
Its creator, Evie Keough, stressed the importance of expanding their reach to younger children, explaining, "working through school settings alone will not be enough".
To incorporate these younger individuals, Boromi is developing ‘Pop-in Play Libraries’ in local communities.
The libraries will utilise Boromi’s resources, making them easily accessible to families.
Boromi plans to use the grant from SHINE to grow its initiative, which began in the East Midlands, and is aiming to accommodate children from birth.
Ms Keough added: "The impact of poverty on language can be seen as early as two years old.
"Schools will remain central to what we do, but we will be working deeper into communities through settings such as libraries, children’s centres, food banks and family hubs."
Helen Rafferty, interim CEO of SHINE said: "We are proud to be supporting Boromi to make a substantial and widespread impact on children and families in these early years, and very much looking forward to seeing what comes next for Boromi.”
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