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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 1, 2020 03:29 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Lori A. Mizgorski |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Establishing the Pennsylvania Advisory Commission on Greater Father Family Involvement (Former HB 2872) |
| In the near future, I will be re-introducing legislation that establishes the Pennsylvania Advisory Commission on Greater Father Family Involvement within the Department of Human Services. Families come in many shapes and sizes, but one thing is clear. Children benefit when both parents are fully engaged in the lives of their children. Approximately 35% of children are raised in single-parent households, many without access to their fathers and the financial and emotional support they can provide. When a child has access to both parents, the child is more likely to exhibit healthy behaviors, excel in school and achieve emotional well-being. A father’s absence can have a negative impact on a child’s life from birth forward. Studies have shown that children who grow up without their father’s involvement are more likely to live in poverty, have higher odds of drug and alcohol use, are twice as likely to drop out of high school and experience increased odds of being incarcerated. They also have a higher risk of physical and emotional neglect. As a Commonwealth we need to address the public policies that impede fathers in developing meaningful and supportive connections with their children. We need to create support mechanisms that enhance the ability of fathers to assume their parenting roles. I hope you will join me in co-sponsoring this legislation which is the first step to promoting Greater Father Family Involvement in Pennsylvania. |