• First Lady DeWine Visits El Centro to Promote Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine will lead other public officials to host the 2024 Kids Summit at the Hilton Columbus Downtown on Thursday, September 5 from 9am.

Hosted for the first time by the new Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY), in collaboration with the Ohio Supreme Court, the Kids Summit will bring together county leaders representing children’s services, the judicial system, law enforcement, parent and family advocates, social workers, and more to learn more about DCY and its mission to serve Ohio children.

The event will also provide an opportunity for participants to build partnerships and collaborate on innovative strategies to improve service delivery for children and families.

Speaking recently at the presentation of reports by the Ohio Juvenile Justice Working Group Governor Mike DeWine reiterated that one of government’s “top priorities is the protection of children.”

“All kids deserve the opportunity to live up to their full, God-given potential, including youth who are incarcerated in state or local juvenile corrections facilities. We must send these youth home with the very best chance to succeed.”

Meanwhile, Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine will visit El Centro de Servicios Sociales, Inc. Thursday, September 5, 2024 to promote Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio’s new bilingual book collection. She will speak with El Centro Executive Director Victor Leandry, Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley, and other community leaders about a collective effort to ensure all Ohio families, including those who do not speak English as their primary language, have access to the books.

In Ohio, families have the option to choose to receive an English collection of Imagination Library books with an occasional bilingual book or a 100% bilingual English/Spanish collection of books.

Statewide, Ohio’s Imagination Library has 409,084 children participating in the program, totaling 61% of the state’s eligible children. In Lorain County, more than 11,200 children are registered for this free program reflecting 67% of eligible children.

Ohio’s Imagination Library mails children one high-quality, age-appropriate book each month until their 5th birthday. All Ohio children – from birth to age 5 – are eligible to be enrolled in the program at no cost to their family by signing up at Ohioimaginationlibrary.org.

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