CLEVELAND — Three-year-old Lucy isn’t old enough for Kindergarten yet, but her dad Matt Blixenstine said it’s important for her to be a part of his walk to Harrison Elementary School, along with her brother who’s beginning first grade.
“I’ve been a stay at home here ever since the pandemic, when our daycare closed. I’m not going to say it’s always easy, but I’m really blessed to be in this position,” he said.
He is one of thousands of dads, granddads and other father figures walking their children to school for the Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative’s annual Fathers Walk. The initiative aims to address the absence of fatherhood as nearly one in four children in the United States grow up without a father at home. Besides their usual resources and programs, the walk is one of the group’s long-time traditions that encourages fathers to stay actively involved in their children’s lives and education…