A Father Friendly Flagship Agency

We are excited to share that ECS has completed all requirements and has earned Initial Certification of Father Friendliness by The Strong Families Commission.

On April 5th, ECS staff members, Victoria Bennett, chief inclusion and advocacy officer, Mary Alice Duff, chief of staff, Caroline Dunleavy, director of strategy management, Malkia Singleton Ofori-Agyekum, director of residential and participant services, and Muneer Smith, FAST Housing case manager, attended the Father Friendly Flagship Agency (3FA) Commencement Exercise at The Free Library of Philadelphia.

ECS, along with 24 other agencies, was awarded a certificate and plaque to celebrate efforts, not only in making our agencies Father Friendly, but also in moving Philadelphia ahead to become the first Father Friendly city in America.

Additionally, ECS was one of three agencies asked to share the major impact of the project on our agency on a panel. The day was filled with dynamic speakers and representatives from children and youth servicing systems, including Child Welfare League of America, Department of Health, Division of Maternal Child and Family Health, and Fathers and Families Coalition of America.

The Strong Families Commission was created as an entity to continue the 3FA work that Dr. Rufus Sylvester Lynch, ACSW, the principal investigator of the project, began as a Senior Stoneleigh Fellow. “We can’t be all things to all people, but we can lift up those who are doing the work,” he said.

If you would like more information on The Strong Families Commission, please visit www.thestrongfamiliescommission.com.