Fatherhood Awareness Month Proclamation 2021
WHEREAS, in the United States, 18.3 million children (1 in 4) live without a biological father, stepfather, or adoptive father in the home; in Virginia, more than 340,000 children, and in Fairfax, nearly 34,000 children, live without a father in the home; and
WHEREAS, the absence of the critical influence of fathers contributes to nearly all social ills facing our communities today; and
WHEREAS, research has demonstrated that even from birth, children who have an involved father are more likely to be emotionally secure and, as they grow older, have better social connections. Research further reveals that an active and nurturing style of fathering is associated with better verbal skills and intellectual functioning in children; and
WHEREAS, with fathers actively engaged, children are less vulnerable to the risks of childhood poverty, mental illness, juvenile delinquency, youth sexual activity, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and failure to complete high school; and
WHEREAS, 85% of fathers who graduated from the Department of Family Services fatherhood program in Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020 increased or maintained quality time spent with their children; and
WHEREAS, programs like Healthy Families Fairfax, the Head Start Policy Council, the Fairfax County Department of Family Services Father Engagement and Parenting Education programs, in collaboration with Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services, help fathers gain parenting skills and economic self-sufficiency; NOW THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents of Fairfax County, does hereby proclaim June 2021 as
Fatherhood Awareness Month
in Fairfax County to raise public awareness of the importance of fatherhood and the importance of a father's engagement with his children and family.
Jeffrey C. McKay, Chairman,
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn presents the 2021 Fatherhood Awareness Month proclamation on behalf of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
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