It has been a pleasure to partner with you in support of fathers

Council director signing off

Dear Washington Fatherhood Council members and friends,

It has been such an honor and privilege to serve as the director of this amazing group of individuals and organizations since our founding. I fondly remember one of our first passionate planning meetings, where we agreed that we didn’t want just a conference; we wanted a movement.

We had our first summit in June 2018, and now we have a movement! 

Gov. Jay Inslee launched us, expressing a desire for us to have “many more of these important conversations in the years to come.”

And we have done just that. We will hold our seventh summit Friday, Sept. 19. You can sign up to join us!

This list has grown from a modest 145 to over 5,000 fathers and allies of fathers and families. You intentionally and persistently raise your hands and ask, “What about dads?” 

Together, we make things happen for dads who want to play a meaningful role in their children’s lives but feel unwelcome in our systems.

Due to state budget cuts, the Department of Social and Health Services is eliminating dedicated funding for two positions participating in the Washington Fatherhood Council. 

This does not mean the work is stopping. The council will continue to meet, and we have put a transition team in place to support our next developmental leap.

Our Washington State Department of Health grant will end in September 2025.

The Provider Learning Series is scheduled through December 2025. 

To stay engaged in the conversation in your sphere of influence, you can ask:

• How are we including fathers in our work?
• How are we supporting the whole family?

Despite these economic times, we can do much by leaning into what we know is true — fathers matter!

Your humble servant,

Anne J. Stone
Washington Fatherhood Council Director – signing off
Wafatherhoodcouncil@gmail.com
Wafatherhoodcouncil.org

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