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Young Fathers Conference in Baltimore To Explore Roles, Responsibilities, and Challenges

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Baltimore – The Baltimore Division of Casey Family Services – the direct service agency of the Annie E. Casey Foundation – and the Maryland Department of Human Resources will host the 2008 Young Fathers Conference on June 26. “Fatherhood: Ensuring a Legacy of Permanence, Commitment, and Responsibility,” a free event, is for all young fathers in the Baltimore area and will be held at the New Shiloh Family Center, located at 2100 North Monroe Street. More than 500 fathers, experts and community representatives are expected to attend.

Casey convened the first such conference in 2004 and then every two years, to address the needs of young fathers in the community. The event engages young fathers, community service providers, advocates, mentors, and other stakeholders to discuss the obstacles so many young fathers face, and help these men remove barriers that impede them in their daily lives.

“Our national leaders are reinforcing the urgency of fathers to be involved in their children’s lives,” says Darryl Green, a fatherhood involvement coordinator with Casey Family Services. “This conference provides an opportunity for young fathers to take steps that will align them with people, resources, and tools to strengthen permanent family connections.”

Workshops and panel discussions will provide valuable information on such topics as child support, employment, healthy relationships, finance, and mental health. Dr. Na’im Akbar, a critically acclaimed author, scholar, psychologist, and lecturer, is the luncheon keynote speaker. Guest speakers also include:

• Raymond L. Torres, Vice President, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Executive Director, Casey Family Services
• Tony Cipollone, Senior Advisor for Atlanta, Baltimore and Neighborhood Development and Acting Vice President for Communications and Advocacy at the Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Anthony G. Brown, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
• Salima Siler Marriot, Deputy Mayor, Community and Human Development, Office of the Baltimore Mayor
• Dana E. Ross, President of purEquality Entertainment, LLC
• Demetria Scott, musical guest

“This conference has been and continues to be an effort of the Annie E. Casey Foundation including Casey Family Services to engage fathers, especially young fathers, in the lives of their children,” says Raymond L. Torres. “My expectations are that young fathers will take what they’ve learned and improve their own actions so they can be better fathers to their children.”

Casey Family Services offers permanency-focused programs and services for vulnerable children and families throughout New England and in Baltimore, Maryland.