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.