Being a dad is one of the most important jobs a man can have. The greatest advantage a child can have is the love and support of a strong and stable family and the research clearly indicates the benefits to children who have two actively engaged parents.Families of all shapes and sizes love and provide for the needs of their children, including families headed by grandparents, same sex couples, and single parents. And in families of all types responsible parenting remains a crucial part of ensuring a child's well-being. The President has often described the "hole a man leaves when he abandons his responsibility to his children [as] one that no government can fill." And while millions of single-mother households across the country are doing whatever it takes to provide for their families, we know that without a father doing his part it can be a struggle to meet the many obligations parents face.Responsible fathering means taking responsibility for a child's intellectual, emotional, and financial well-being. This requires being present in a child's life, actively contributing to a child's healthy development, sharing economic responsibilities, and cooperating with a child's mother in addressing the full range of a child's and family's needs.Today, however, one out of every three children in America - over 24 million in total - lives in a home without their biological father present. And data show that low-income men from communities of color are significantly more likely to be nonresident fathers than resident fathers. Roughly one out of every three Hispanic children and more than half of African-American children grow up in homes without their fathers present.The presence and involvement of a child's parents protects children from a number of vulnerabilities. More engaged fathers-whether living with or apart from their children-can help foster a child's healthy physical, emotional, and social development. While evidence shows that children benefit most from the involvement of resident fathers, research has also highlighted the positive effect that nonresident fathers can have on their children's lives.The choice to be an active, engaged parent is influenced by factors in the family and the community. For example, it can be especially hard for fathers who are trying to do the right thing to maintain their dignity and motivation in the face of unemployment or underemployment. In addition, fathering is influenced by culture, which must support and reinforce messages and behaviors that lead to fathers taking active roles in the healthy development of their children. This requires deliberate actions and messages by the public and private sector, as well individuals in communities and homes across the country. These, and other complex factors, contribute to the way fathers choose to engage with their children.As the father of two girls, President Obama knows firsthand the power of fathers being present in the lives of their children and families. As a man who grew up without a father present in his life, he also knows the pain created when a father chooses to leave his children behind and the powerful role mentors and other adults play in filling that void.Soon after taking office, the Obama Administration began leading forums across the country to discuss how we, as a country, can work together to promote responsible fatherhood through personal and community responsibility. In 2010, the President asked that an interagency working group begin finding ways to encourage activities and policy developments that promote responsible fatherhood. Since then, the Responsible Fatherhood Working Group has coordinated policy, programmatic activities, and engagement efforts on fatherhood across federal agencies.