The report being released today looks back at what we’ve been able to accomplish to promote responsible fatherhood, and looks forward to what more we can do, together, to foster healthy families. 

To read the full report, click HERE.

Ed. Note: This op-ed by Michael Strautmanis celebrating Father's Day first ran in The Grio

Working for President Obama is an incredible privilege, but my greatest honor is to be the proud father of three beautiful children. This week, I was reminded again of the enormous joy of fatherhood as I watched my eldest son graduate from high school. It was by far one the most fulfilling moments of my life. My wife, our six-year-old daughter, and I sat in the audience, feeling so blessed and so happy to witness his accomplishment. My son: the graduate. He’s never looked better, and I’ve never been prouder.

Like many other parents who work extremely demanding jobs, I know that special moments like graduations, Saturday morning soccer games, and dance recitals are so precious. And it’s amazing how those moments slip by so quickly. As I watched the graduation ceremony, it seemed like it was just yesterday that I held my eldest son in my arms for the first time. I didn’t know where his little life would lead, but I knew that I would love him unconditionally and try my hardest to walk him through those tough life lessons, as my mom and my adopted dad did for me.

President Obama knows the vital role that fathers play in the lives of our children. As a dad of two beautiful young girls and as a son growing up without the presence of his father, the President recognizes that the most important, most challenging, and most fulfilling job he’ll ever have is to be Sasha and Malia’s dad.

President Obama reminds us that we all have a stake in forging stronger bonds between fathers and their children.  Children don’t need us to be superheroes; they just need us to be active in their lives, to love them, and to set a good example.

That’s why for the past three years, President Obama has led the President’s Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative, a multi-year effort to help dads connect to their families and to raise awareness about responsible fatherhood. We also recently released a Promoting Responsible Fatherhood report, which looks back on what we’ve accomplished to promote fatherhood, and looks forward on how we can build on that foundation.

In that spirit, President Obama’s Fatherhood & Mentoring Initiative and the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse are excited to kick off the “Fatherhood Buzz.” It’s an program that will work with barbershops to connect dads with local resources to help build stronger families. Every couple months, dads and their barbers participating in the initiative will get a different “buzz” topic to discuss at the barbershop.

Today, at this make-or-break moment for working Americans, economic stability and getting good jobs are at the top of our priority list. So, this quarter, the “buzz” is all about financial literacy and job training. Because it’s up to us to work hard to secure our families and plan for the future, for us and for our kids.

At the end of the day, dads have a responsibility to give parenting our best effort. That means showing up and making the right decisions each day to be a good father. Even if you weren’t the best dad in the past, today is a new day and the President’s Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative is just one of the many programs out there that can help.

I’m certainly not the perfect father. I’ve missed quite a few dinners and special occasions because of work, but my family is always my top priority. When I truly reflect on all that I have done in my life, nothing can compare to the satisfaction I feel when I spend time with my 15-year-old autistic son at the park, read a bedtime story to my little girl, or watch my oldest son prepare to go to college. That pride is a feeling that many dads know well, and it’s enough to keep you going through all the tough times that life may bring.

And let’s remember that parenting can be a great partnership. So, in honor of my beautiful and remarkable wife, I can’t think of a better gift this Father’s Day than the love and support she has given me, along with my three amazing children-I can’t thank them enough.

Happy Father’s Day.

Michael Strautmanis is Deputy Assistant to President Obama and Counselor for Strategic engagement to Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett. Strautmanis is also a proud dad of three children and celebrates his 20th wedding anniversary in August.

Art has helped create the America that we know and love today. And at its best, film allows us a window into our own lives and get a chance to see the world through someone else's eyes. One of the heroes of American cinema, Atticus Finch, said that "you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."

That great line is from the classic film "To Kill A Mockingbird," a movie that has informed and entertained us for generations. I love the movies. And art gave me the chance at a young age to experience a world beyond my neighborhood in Chicago and develop skills that have lasted a lifetime. 

Stories like mine are reasons President Obama is committed to recognizing the importance of the fine arts. And as a part of his constant effort to acknowledge and celebrate the  arts and their impact on our country, on Thursday, April 5, President Obama commemorated the 50th Anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird—a 1962 film adaptation of author Harper Lee’s 1960 novel about racial inequality in the deep south—by hosting a screening in the Family Theater at the White House. The invited guests included actors and family members related to the film. Among them was Mary Badham Wilt, the actress who played Scout; Veronique Peck, widow of Gregory Peck who played Atticus Finch; and students from local school in Virginia, Washington-Lee High School. 

My hope is that these students were both inspired by the story that unfolded on screen but how the making of the film, the groundbreaking novel that inspired it, and the constant effort to perfect our union forever changed all those who made the movie and millions more through the years who have watched it.

How relevant is the story in "To Kill A Mockingbird" to the world we live in today? To me, that is the great thing about art. The viewer will answer that question for themselves. 

I do know that it was another special night at the White House.

These initial conversations led to the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, a partnership that works to keep children safe in cities around the country.

Yesterday morning, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, addressed the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention here in Washington, D.C.  She was joined by mayors from across the nation, as well as Attorney General Holder and Secretary Duncan. She spoke about President Obama’s ongoing commitment to making our communities safe places to grow up, and to raise children. Her full remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below.

Good morning.

Thank you, Melodee, for that very kind introduction, and for everything you do to protect our nation’s young people. 

On behalf of President Obama, I’d like to thank all of you for being true leaders in the fight to prevent youth violence. You all work so hard to keep our children safe. We have mayors from around the country here today.  My hometown Mayor, Rahm Emanuel. Mayor Villaraigosa, who just spoke.  Mayor Reed, Mayor Donohue, and two Mayor Kennedys – Judy and Judith, and Mayor Nutter will be joining you this afternoon. Mayor Menino and Mayor Bing couldn’t be here this morning, but I’d like to recognize them for their leadership. And I also want to acknowledge my dear friend Congressman Bobby Scott.

Looking around, it’s great to see so many familiar faces. Last year, I spoke at this Summit and thanked you for breaking down silos, and coming together in our cities where addressing the problem of youth violence could simply not be more urgent. Each city represented announced a new comprehensive youth violence plan, and since then, you have converted those plans into action.

Already, we see evidence that you are changing your communities, and improving people’s lives. Just a few days ago, researchers from John Jay College and Temple University released an interim report on their assessment of this national forum on youth violence and prevention. Interviews with you, and others in your cities, found that perceptions of public safety and violence have improved, that organizations are cooperating more effectively, and that local officials are more actively engaged in preventing violence.                                                       

That’s terrific news. It is amazing how much you have accomplished in such a short time. But as we all know, there is still so much to do. As a mom, it just breaks my heart when I hear stories of young people who fall victim to gangs, drugs, and crime – President Obama, the father of two young girls, feels the same way.

The President will never forget the tragic story he heard, in 2009, from our hometown of Chicago. A 16 year-old honors student named Darrion Albert was walking home from school. An innocent bystander, in the wrong place at the wrong time. On his way to the bus stop, he was caught between two groups of boys brawling in the street. One young man, not much older than Darrion, struck him with a railroad tie. Another punched him in the face. As he struggled to his feet, a second group of boys attacked him and continued to beat him even after he had lost consciousness. Darrion did not survive.

I think it was impossible to hear the story of Darrion’s murder without doing some soul-searching. We had to ask ourselves how, in America, we could let young people’s lives end before they had a chance to truly begin. And sadly, as we are all painfully aware, Darrion was not alone. From the beginning of the 2007 school year until the time of Darrion’s death, nearly 70 students were murdered in Chicago, most of them on their way to or from school. An epidemic of children killing children.

When President Obama heard about what had happened, he took action. He sent Attorney General Holder and Secretary Duncan to Chicago to discuss youth violence with Mayor Daley and leaders in the community – and those discussions ultimately led to the creation of this National Forum. Today, President Obama and his Administration are deeply committed to continuing to partnering with all of you to continue our work to create safe neighborhoods for our children.

And we are inspired by leaders such as the ones here today – men and women such as the Reverend Marlon T. Foster. During his youth growing up in the Fowler Homes Public Housing Development in Memphis, Reverend Foster was, in his own words, “a wayward inner city teenager.” He lost his best friend to gun violence.

But after much prayer, Reverend Foster broke free of the cycle that ensnares so many young people. Today, he runs Knowledge Quest, an organization that leads after school programs for K-12 students. He lives and works in South Memphis. He has said, and I quote, “According to zip code data, it is a community filled with challenges, but from my vantage point it is a community filled with opportunity.”

I’m proud that as part of the White House’s commitment to supporting the work all of you do, tomorrow we will honor Revered Foster and nine others as “White House Champions of Change.”

These 10 men and women remind us how change really happens in America – through ordinary people choosing to do extraordinary things. They range from police officers to pastors, from students to program directors. What they share are life stories, that demonstrate a commitment to making their communities better places to grow up, and safe places to raise children.

I’ll conclude my remarks by sharing just two of those stories.

De Quan O’Neal is a sophomore at Osborn Evergreen Academy in Detroit. As a freshman, he got involved with the Neighborhood Service Organization’s Youth Initiatives project, because in his words, “I was tired of seeing my peers affected by violence and drugs.”

Last December, De Quan organized a press conference at City Hall with 35 of his peers to kick off the 2012 “Hugs Not Bullets Campaign”. He spoke out against the gun violence and celebratory gunfire that happens in Detroit on New Year’s Eve.

It is never easy to take the spotlight and make the case for change. Imagine how much harder it must be at the age of 16. But that’s exactly what De Quan did. He spoke simply, powerfully, and from the heart. And we are all so proud of him.

And finally, I want to recognize Cora Tomalinas. Cora is a Filipino immigrant. During the late 1980s, parents in her community in San Jose struggled to raise children in the middle of a neighborhood plagued by drugs and gangs.

Through this tremendously difficult experience, she found her life’s calling. Guided by her faith, she has spent three decades helping to protect young people.  She helped forge new partnerships between residents, clergy, advocates, and public officials. She has been called the “heartbeat” behind the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force in San Jose, and the California Wellness Foundation honored her with a California Peace Prize.

Cora understands that while the work starts small, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, we have the ability, and the responsibility, to change our country. As she has said, “we must be accountable for keeping the U.S. as the greatest country in the world for our children.”

I know that all of you share that belief – and so, of course, does President Obama. Every day, he is fighting for an America that lives up to its basic promise: that no matter who you are or where you come from, you can make it if you try.

Throughout our country’s history, each generation has preserved and expanded that promise. Now, we must do our part. And while fighting youth violence is tremendously challenging, you have shown that when we join together, we will ultimately prevail.

That’s why I’m proud that this program is expanding to new cities, leveraging new resources, and creating new partnerships. We know that change is hard. Change takes time. And giving every young person a chance to grow up in a culture of peace, and dignity, is a vision that we may not fully realize in the next few months, or even years.

But as all of you are demonstrating, it is possible to make a difference.

Just two weeks ago, there was an article in the Chicago Sun-Times about the school Darrion Albert had attended, Fenger Academy. The headline read, “Just two years after student’s murder, peace taking over at Fenger Academy.” The article interviewed Geneva Harris, about the changes that had taken place at the school. Geneva was a freshman when Darrion was killed. “A lot of these smiling faces you see were not once smiling,” she told a reporter. And she added, “Fenger has become beautiful.”

We must never forget the senseless tragedies that have taken place, and still do, but we must also be inspired all the stories of amazing transformation, in the face of enormous odds. That is why I urge you to never tire, never rest, and certainly, never give up. And know that as you fight to make our cities safe for America’s children, President Obama will always be in your corner.

I am thrilled that the issue of youth violence prevention will receive the attention it deserves from federal and local officials who are working hard each day to make our communities safer.  At the Summit, we will hear from Cabinet officials including Attorney General Holder, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.  We will also hear from Mayor Nutter of Philadelphia, Mayor Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, and the Mayors of the six cities currently participating in the Forum: Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Salinas, and San Jose.   

The issue of youth violence prevention is important our nation and it has been an honor to work with folks at the Federal and local levels.  I look forward to hearing from a diverse set of committed stakeholders on how we can continue to amplify the national conversation around youth violence by bringing cities together and creating long term plans to address this problem. Additionally, we’re excited to have representatives from communities across the U.S. join us and hear about opportunities to get involved with the Forum. In 2012, the Forum will expand its reach through inviting new cities into the network, continuing to provide technical assistance, and rolling out a brand new online toolkit for any city confronted by youth violence.

Youth violence is not inevitable, but in order to make communities safe for all of our young people, everyone must be at the table. Initial findings from what will be an ongoing assessment of the Forum are promising, showing increased levels of collaboration and enthusiasm in the six cities. Next week’s Summit is exciting because it will convene Federal officials, mayors, law enforcement, leaders of the faith community, school officials; youth outreach organizations, and youth themselves as active participants in this important dialogue.  By coming together and speaking out, we will send a message to communities and young people across the country that you are not alone, and we are in this together. I can’t imagine a better way to start the week.

Click here for more information on the National Forum on Preventing Youth Violence

Micahel Strautmanis, his wife and their three children

Every single day, I am proud and awed to be working for our President. But, some days simply take the cake. Just a few short months ago, I had a couple of those days. On April 1st, President Obama issued the first ever Presidential Proclamation to mark World Autism Awareness Day. Later that month, I had another special moment when Valerie Jarrett and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the President and his administration fully supported reauthorization of the Combating Autism Act (CAA).  As a father of a child on the autism spectrum, these were extraordinarily meaningful moments to me. 

Today, President Obama signed into law the reauthorization of the CAA. I was once again reminded of the honor that it is to be working for a President who gets it -- he knows that persons on the autism spectrum are at the heart of this issue. 

Nearly one percent of American children are on the Autism Spectrum, and this reauthorization continues important investments in research, early detection and support and services for both children and adults. Without it, critical research would have been severely hindered and in some cases halted. Millions of persons on the Autism Spectrum would have been deprived of the potential breakthroughs resulting from valuable research, and of the chance to live independent and productive lives. 

But, with the stroke of the President's pen, our work continues. Work that will advance education research that supports early diagnosis for children on the Autism Spectrum. Because we all know, the earlier we can diagnose autism, the better we can provide supports and services and work with children so they are prepared to learn when they enter school. 

But we would not have gotten to today were it not for a diverse group of people working together.  Members of Congress,  advocates on the Autism Spectrum, parents and grandparents of children with autism, and disability advocates – all played a key role in achieving this goal. 

I read something today on a blog written by a mom with a daughter with autism that sums it up well.  She spoke of our community and said, "[t]his community has meant everything to me.  Without it, I would not have found my voice. Without it, I would not have written to the president, nor found myself headed to the White House to talk about our children.  Without it, I would not wake up every morning knowing that I am not alone." 

As we mark another success with this signing, President Obama and I know firsthand that for people on the Autism Spectrum and their loved ones, thinking about autism does not stop today. Since my son is on the Autism Spectrum, I fully understand that autism impacts people every day. President Obama knows that the best way to help my son and the thousands of American children and adults on the Autism Spectrum is to remain committed and focused so that tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that, we'll continue to do better.

Like millions of dads across our country, President Obama has said that being a father is the “most important job he has.”  From coaching basketball to helping with homework, the President cherishes the time he gets to spend with his two girls, even when life gets busy.

Today at a screening of the movie Cars 2 for military fathers and families, President Obama is kicking off something called the year of Strong Fathers, Strong Families as part of his Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative. It’s an effort with partners from 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 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.  You can sign up for updates and find more in the coming days on www.fatherhood.gov.

Military fathers and families listen as President Barack Obama stops by a screening of the movie "Cars 2" in the South Court Auditorium of the White House, June 15, 2011. The President talked about the year of "Strong Fathers, Strong Families" as part of his Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama wrote about growing up without his own dad in his life – and millions of kids in America experience the same. According to the U.S. Census, almost one out of every three children in our country grow up without their father. And when dads are not around to support, families and children can be impacted as a result.

For years, the President has worked with dads from around the country to do something about fatherlessness, from supporting local fatherhood programs to encouraging personal responsibility.  We’re thrilled to advance this work through the year of Strong Fathers, Strong Families. Remember to sign the President’s fatherhood pledge and stay updated at www.fatherhood.gov.

Michael Strautmanis is Counselor in the Office of Public Engagement and a proud father of three.

After 18 games and nearly two years of work to qualify for the most watched sporting event on earth, the team was relaxed and at ease as they made their way through the White House to meet some of their biggest fans.

The visit was part of the team’s “Send-Off Series,” which will culminate on Saturday with a match against Turkey in Philadelphia, PA.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden greet the U.S. World Cup Soccer team and former President Bill Clinton on the North Portico of the White House, May 27, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

After touring the White House, the team met the President, the Vice President, and President Clinton for a photo on the North Portico. 

As U.S. Coach Bob Bradley said, the guys were pretty fired up: “It was a great honor for our team to visit the White House and meet President Obama, Vice President Biden and President Clinton. We are proud to be representing our country in South Africa, and there is no greater way to reinforce that message than to hear it directly from the President of the United States.”

Vice President Biden will be representing the United States at the World Cup, including the Opening Ceremonies on June 11th and the USA’s first game against England on June 12th. The United States is also bidding to become the host country for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, and President Clinton is the chair of the US Bid Committee.

We have high hopes for this team, as they have already proven they can compete and win at the highest levels of international competition, most notably in last years’ Confederations Cup.  As the President said, “Everybody is going to be rooting for you. Although sometimes we don’t remember here in the United States, this is going to be the biggest world (stage) and you’re going to be representing all of us. We are incredibly proud of what you’ve done already.”

President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton greet the U.S. World Cup Soccer team on the North Portico of the White House, May 27, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Landon Donovan, the all-time leading goal scorer for the U.S., summed up the feelings of the team: “We feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend time with three of the most powerful people in the world. Their interest in the sport of soccer and, specifically, our team was inspiring. It is something I will never forget.”

Michael Strautmanis is Chief of Staff to the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Engagement

All of us are excited to begin this important work and we’re proud that this is the first time the White House has offered such a program.  Last June, the President launched a National Conversation on Fatherhood and Personal Responsibility.  This is an important corollary to that effort.  We know that a responsible, caring adult taking the time to mentor a young person often makes an incredibly positive difference in the lives of both. 

Michael Strautmanis is Chief of Staff to the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Engagement