Ford Motor Company Fund awards grant to Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation for Reach Out and Read Program for sick kids
DETROIT–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ford Motor Company Fund (The Ford Fund) awarded Children’s Hospital of
Michigan Foundation a $10,000 grant for Reach Out and Read, a
program designed to help children undergoing medical care remain
proficient in reading.
Reach Out and Read (ROAR) is a national program that seeks
to make early literacy an integral part of primary pediatric care.
According to the National Commission on Reading, reading aloud is the
single most important factor in determining later learning success. ROAR
was developed in 1989 at Boston City Hospital and first offered in July
1995 to The Children’s Hospital of Michigan in the general pediatric
clinic for children six months to five years of age.
The grant from The Ford Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor
Company, allows continuation of the program. Since 1991, this method of
encouraging reading has been studied by academic investigators in a
variety of settings and has been found to work. Participating parents
are four times more likely to read to their children regularly. Their
children have larger vocabularies, stronger reading comprehension skills
and a six month developmental gain before they enter kindergarten.
“Providing children with the tools to learn and grow are vital to our
success as a community,” said Yisel Cabrera, manager of community
relations of Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “Ford has
been supporting important programs that engage our young people for more
than 100 years, and we are proud to continue that mission through Reach
Out and Read.”
“We are grateful to The Ford Fund to make this program possible. Giving
children, many of whom live in poverty, an early boost to promote
literacy will help them later in life. Reading and comprehension
contribute to overall well-being and health,” said Tony Werner,
President and CEO of Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation.
About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community
and global partners to advance driving safety, education and community
life. Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 65 years with
ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford Driving Skills for Life is
free, interactive, hands-on safety training focused on skill development
and driving techniques, while addressing inexperience, distractions and
impaired driving. Innovation in education is encouraged through Ford
Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Driving Dreams, Ford Next Generation Learning
and other innovative programs that enhance high school learning and
provide college scholarships and university grants. The Ford Volunteer
Corps enlists more than 30,000 Ford employees and retirees each year to
work on local projects that strengthen their communities and improve
people’s lives in more than 40 countries around the world. For more
information, visit http://community.ford.com.
Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation
Established in 2003, the Foundation is dedicated to advancing the health
and healthcare of the children of Michigan. This is accomplished through
philanthropic support for pediatric medical education, research, and
community benefit programs. The Foundation granted $5.7 million in 2014
for vital pediatric health initiatives. The Foundation is an independent
public charity governed by a community board of 29 directors, and is a
501(c) (3) charitable organization. Learn more at www.chmfoundation.org.
Contacts
Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation
Leslie Fleming,
Director of Communications and Annual Giving
313-745-1933 (Office)
313-418-0018
(Cell)
leslie.fleming@chmfoundation.org
(Email)
