--- title: How To Celebrate Fathers > Fairfax County, VA Proclaims June as Fatherhood Awareness Month (Video) description: I recently attended a special event at the county government level and found it inspiring... image: https://www.fatherhood.org/hubfs/fairfax-fatherhood-awareness-june-2016.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/celebrate-fathers-proclamation#main) - [![NFI mark](https://www.fatherhood.org/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI%20mark.svg)FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://www.fatherhood.org/) - [STORE.FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://store.fatherhood.org/) [![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=149&height=82&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=65&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=66&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=89&height=49&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ](https://www.fatherhood.org) - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) Open main navigation Close main navigation - Show submenu for Get Informed Get Informed - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - [Father Stats & Infographics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) - Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Find Your Stage of Father Inclusion](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-inclusion) - [How Father Friendly Is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Fatherhood Data & Statistics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - [How Father Friendly is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Other Free Resources](https://www.fatherhood.org/nfi-free-resources) - [Talk With us to Get Started](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) National Fatherhood Initiative Blog / [Latest Articles](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood) [General Fatherhood Program Resources](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/topic/general-fatherhood-program-resources) # How To Celebrate Fathers > Fairfax County, VA Proclaims June as Fatherhood Awareness Month (Video) 3 min read ![Melissa Byers](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/melissa_circle_icon.png?width=100&height=100&name=melissa_circle_icon.png) [** Melissa Byers ** ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/author/melissa-byers) Melissa is the Chief Marketing Officer at National Fatherhood Initiative® (NFI). Melissa oversees the organization's marketing, communications, graphic design, and product fulfillment functions. I recently attended a special event to celebrate fathers in Fairfax County, Virginia. Between being a dad myself, working at National Fatherhood Initiative, being a volunteer, and then seeing my local government care about fathers, I found the event inspiring on many levels.  With Father's Day fast-approaching, I wanted to highlight this inspiring event and the county leaders who care about connecting fathers to their families enough to celebrate it. As you read this post, consider: **How are your elected officials celebrating fathers?** **What if all counties celebrated fathers like this?** To celebrate fathers, **The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors declared June as Fatherhood Awareness Month** in a special ceremony. [![fairfax-county-virginia-fatherhood-awareness-june-2016.jpg](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/fairfax-fatherhood-awareness-june-2016.jpg?width=650&name=fairfax-fatherhood-awareness-june-2016.jpg)](https://www.flickr.com/photos/fairfaxcounty/27427801012/in/album-72157666835438134/) **Fairfax County Board of Supervisors declares June as Fatherhood Awareness Month.** **Review the full Proclamation...** **![VA-fatherhood-proclaimation.jpg](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/VA-fatherhood-proclaimation.jpg?width=350&name=VA-fatherhood-proclaimation.jpg)WHEREAS,** fathers play an integral part in the successful lives of their children and research has demonstrated that the psychological and emotional development, health and well-being of children is significantly enhanced by the presence, commitment and nurturing of fathers and father figures; 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**, involvement of fathers in the lives of their children increases the likelihood of success in social skills, academic performance, adult careers, employment goals and involved parenting skills for their future families; and  **WHEREAS**, through programs, including Father Engagement; Healthy Families Fairfax; and the Head Start Policy Council, the Fairfax County Department of Family Services, additional county agencies and community-based agencies 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 2016, as  **Fatherhood Awareness Month** in Fairfax County to raise public awareness of the importance of fatherhood and the importance of father's engagement with his children and family. **Watch the full video of the proclamation ceremony [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ULAGBfk9iM): ** Watch the video and see Moses Cobb, a graduate of the [24:7 Dad® Program](https://store.fatherhood.org/shop-by-program/24-7-dad/) back in 2012, as he explains, **"I realized fairly quickly after my son Bryce was born that a father is not given instructions for raising their children. Even though the instructions for the hospital bill were very clear."** Moses continues, "The Dad's Parenting class allowed for very thought-provoking discussions and debates where I was challenged not only by the instructors but by the other dads in the class as well." **"We learned why it is so important to not only be physically present but mentally engaged with our sons and daughters,"** says Moses about what he learned while attending the fatherhood program. Watch closely, and you will see that Moses and his message receive a standing ovation from the audience. I am proud to say I was one of the people standing and clapping along with the rest of the audience that morning.  **Thank you to all the leaders responsible for making this inspiring ceremony happen:** - Fairfax County Supervisor Catherine Hudgins, Hunter Mill District, North County, brought the request from the Fairfax County Department of Family Services, Children, Youth, and Families Division (DFS-CYF) forward to the Board of Supervisors (BOS). - Sharon Bulova, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.  - Jill Forbes, Director of the Children, Youth, and Families Division (CYF), - Nannette M. Bowler, Director of the Department of Family Services (DFS). - Champana Bernard, Father Engagement Supervisor - Calvin Robertson, Fatherhood Facilitator There are several additional volunteer facilitators who help serve dads in Fairfax County. When a county's executive leadership celebrates fathers, more fathers will ultimately connect with their families. This will directly impact the children in a community.  I love what John C. Cook, Supervisor, Braddock District, said at the ceremony, **"Fathers are critical to our families and families are critical to our society."** Fairfax County uses [24/7 Dad®](https://store.fatherhood.org/shop-by-program/24-7-dad/) for its fatherhood program. I hope other counties will be like Fairfax County, and show the importance of fathers. **What is your county doing to show that fathers are important?** Date Published: 06/16/2016 Last Updated: 03/27/2026 ## Learn How to Build a Fatherhood Program That Works Download this free guide for a proven 7-step roadmap—from making the case and securing funding for your program, to launching and measuring real results! [Get The Guide Now!](https://www.fatherhood.org/starting-a-fatherhood-program) ![7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program.png?width=700&height=700&name=7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program.png) [ Previous ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/spotlight-teen-dad-odessa) [ Next ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/spotlight-newport-news-city-jail-107) ## Related Articles ### [Limited Blog Series: Supporting My Co-Parent Image created with GPT Image 2. Quick Confidence Builds are brief activities that practitioners can use when working with dads in face-to-face or virtual group-based or one-on-one ... Read More](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/supporting-my-co-parent) ### [Five Leadership Practices That Build Father-Inclusive Organizations Image created with GPT Image 2. 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