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Kicking off the Year of Strong Fathers, Strong Families

Summary: 
Joshua DuBois, Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, describes Father's Day at the White House, which marked the beginning of the Year of Strong Fathers, Strong Families.

This Father’s Day, President Obama kicked off the Year of Strong Fathers, Strong Families as part of his Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative.  In the week leading up to Father’s Day, the White House was father-filled while we honored Champions of Change, watched Cars 2 with military dads and their kids, and as President Obama and other members of the Administration took time to reflect on the importance of fatherhood in their own lives.

In honor of Father’s Day, President Obama sat down with Robin Roberts from Good Morning America and discussed the important role that fathers play in the lives of children, shared stories from his own experience of being a father to two young daughters, and answered questions about fatherhood from everyday Americans.  You can watch this great interview on ABC.com.  President Obama also wrote an op-ed in People Magazine that stresses the importance of being a good dad.  President Obama shared his insights on the challenges that come with fatherhood, but emphasized that the pure joys of fatherhood make being a dad one of his favorite jobs.  You can check it out on People.com.

At the White House, we honored 15 dads and recognized them as Champions of Change.  These fathers exemplify the important role that fathers play in young children’s lives and have dedicated themselves to mentoring and supporting fathers across the country.  We encourage you to take a moment to learn more about these amazing fathers and how they are setting the standard for responsible fatherhood in our country.

President Obama hosted another father-filled afternoon when military dads and their kids joined us for a screening of Cars 2 at the White House.  We were so happy to see so many kids spend time with their fathers – posing for pictures with Mickey Mouse, taking crayons to coloring books and watching a great movie together!  Everyone was also excited to learn that through the First Lady’s and Dr. Biden’s Joining Forces Initiative and the generosity of our friends at Disney, Warner Bros. and Fox, free movie screenings will be hosted at military bases all across the country. 

Father’s Day week at the White House was only the beginning of the Year of Strong Fathers, Strong Families.  We have partnered with organizations around the nation to create simple opportunities for dads and kids to connect. Whether it's a free game of bowling, a Major League Baseball or WNBA game, a visit to the zoo or the aquarium, or discounts for dads and kids through partners like Groupon and LivingSocial, we're excited to help create small moments that can have a big impact.

Be sure to check out our newly launched website, Fatherhood.gov.  On Fatherhood.gov, we’ll share opportunities, ideas and resources with you, and provide a space for dads to connect with one another online. 

As the Year of Strong Fathers, Strong Families officially begins, we are excited to celebrate the importance of responsible fatherhood with all of you—this year, and for years to come.  

Joshua DuBois serves as Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.