© 2026 WOSU Public Media
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Local Program Works To Reconnect Absent Fathers And Children

A 2008 study by the National Fatherhood Initiative estimated that “the cost to taxpayers for father absences approaches $100 billion every year.”They got this number by calculating annual federal expenditures for antipoverty programs and child support enforcement costs. 

In the last few years there has been a push to get those absent fathers back into the lives of their children and provide support in a number of ways—like mentoring, education, and promoting self-sufficiency. 

The Montgomery County Fatherhood Initiative (MCFI) is part of the national effort and one of 20 counties in Ohio operating programs for fathers.  WYSO's Jerry Kenney spoke to MCFI Program Coordinator, Michael Newsome, and in this WYSO Weekend excerpt we’ll hear from Timothy Burgess—a father of 4 who’s actively working to get back into the lives of his children.

Copyright 2021 WYSO. To see more, visit WYSO.

Jerry Kenney was introduced to WYSO by a friend and within a year of first tuning in became an avid listener and supporter. He began volunteering at the station in 1991 and began hosting Alpha Rhythms in February of 1992. Jerry joined the WYSO staff in 2007 as a host of All Things Considered and soon transitioned into hosting Morning Edition. In addition to now hosting All Things Considered, Jerry is the host and producer of WYSO Weekend, WYSO's weekly news and arts magazine. He has also produced several radio dramas for WYSO in collaboration with local theater companies. Jerry has won several Ohio AP awards as well as an award from PRINDI for his work with the WYSO news department. Jerry says that the best part of his job is being able to talk to people in the community and share their experiences with WYSO listeners.