Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. is inviting fathers and father figures to accompany their children enrolled in Head Start programs to the statewide 6th annual Take Your Child to School Day on Thursday.
"Actively involved fathers are a positive force in the lives of their children and their community. When fathers are involved in the lives of their children, especially their education, their children learn more, perform better in school, and exhibit healthier behavior," Joyce A. Thomas, Regional Administrator for Administration for Children and Families, Region II, said.
A variety of classroom activities are scheduled throughout the day at Connections North and the Early Childhood Community Center (ECCC) in Dunkirk and Connections South in Jamestown.
"This is a great opportunity for fathers to take more of an active role in their children's lives." COI Family and Fatherhood Coordinator Shawna Rose said. "It's a positive start to the school year and gives fathers or significant males a chance to participate in the educational development of their children."
In 2011, Dads Take Your Child to School took place at approximately 200 sites statewide, and engaged an estimated 9,000 fathers. It is part of a larger national movement called the Million Father March, organized by the Black Star Project in Chicago, IL. The event is organized locally by each school or Head Start center, but there are numerous state and local agencies partnering to plan the statewide approach. Partners include New York State's Offices of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), the Region II Office of the federal Administration for Children and Families, New York State Community Action Association, New York State Parenting Education Partnership, Fathers Inc.,
New York City's Departments of Youth and Community Development, Education, Administration for Children's Services, and Human Resource Administration, and many other local partners and supporters around the state.
For more information on this event contact Shawna Rose at 661-9430 or e-mail srose@chautopp.org.
