The Strong Families Commission, Incorporated (THE COMMISSION) is a private, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) registered charitable organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that is dedicated to serving fathers raising children, and men who are helping to raise children. THE COMMISSION is structured as a volunteer advocacy group that partners with local, state, and national governmental units, as well as with children, youth, family, and community-focused systems of care that are committed to including fathers in their service delivery models.

THE COMMISSION has spent nearly 12 years of service with the goal of raising the consciousness of Pennsylvanians that fathers are also needed, and of value, when it comes to raising children, and supporting families. In this regard, we are pleased to report that THE COMMISSION is respectfully recognized by all three branches of state government, as evident by the Pennsylvania General Assembly unanimously voting for passage of Pennsylvania Act 114 of 2022, which called for a Fatherhood Advisory Committee, and the acceptance of the 2024 Final Report issued by the Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission, recommending that Pennsylvania establish a permanent Fatherhood Committee.

As an organization our services have been and will continue to be at no cost to the public. However, one would imagine there is some cost because nothing is free, and they would be correct. We do have expenses that are associated with our annual Symposiums, including Printing Expenses, Conference Bags, Refreshments at Registration, Box Lunches, Mid-day Afternoon Snacks, Program Booklets, Award Certificates, Honorary Plaques, and Computer Services, Telephone Expenses, Communication Platforms, and Travel Expenses back and forward to our State Capitol.

After more than a decade of service, THE COMMISSION now knows it is time to move the development of THE COMMISSION forward to organizational stability, resulting in the need for Office Space, including its own Training Site. For those who believe in promoting greater father family involvement, we need your help in continuing our goal of educating and urging each branch of Pennsylvania’s state government to adopt and institutionalize a father inclusive posture toward men within families, and to support the active participation of fathers in Commonwealth child and family programming; and last, but not least, convince the Pennsylvania General Assembly to establish in statue a permanent Pennsylvania Commission that promotes greater father family involvement in the lives of children and families, and the removal of state systemic impediments that work against Father-Child bonding.

THE COMMISSION is pleased to report that it does not and shall not discriminate based on race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), sex, disability, sexual orientation, or military status, political beliefs, or marital or family status in any of its activities or operations.

For more information, feel free to contact its Founder & Chair, Dr. Rufus Sylvester Lynch, ACSW.