Children and Fathers

The Ohio Children’s Foundation believes that fathers – whether or not they live in the home – significantly influence the lives of their children. A $25,000 grant from the Foundation will help to fund a four-city study to identify the barriers that prevent fathers from gaining access to employment programs, social services, and other resources to help them become responsible fathers and make positive contributions to their children’s lives. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, and the HOGG Foundation are also supporting this survey, which will be conducted by the Social Policy Action Network and National Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families. For more information on national fatherhood initiatives, log on to www.npnff.org or www.nfi.org.

Classical Music for Children

A $23,750 grant from the Ohio Children’s Foundation will enable 500 central Ohio children to attend "ProMusica at COSI: Youth & Family Day," a concert scheduled for April 2002. Informal visits by ProMusica musicians to eight neighborhood centers will help to prepare children for the concert. CDs of the two concert selections and a curriculum guide will complement the hands-on experiences. The children will also attend ProMusica’s jazz concert and its December performance of the Messiah. More information on ProMusica is available at www.promusicacolumbus.org.