For too many families in our area, Father’s Day will be not be a day of celebration but instead will be a reminder of what may be missing from their lives.

In Mississippi, one in three children live in poverty; a child is abused or neglected every two hours. Over 54,000 children in our state are being raised by grandparents. Thirty percent of babies are born to unwed teenagers.

We see first hand in our community that children are better off when both parents are involved in their lives, but sadly, this is too often not the case, and children have fallen into poverty as a result.

We also see examples where federal policies do not support efforts to get fathers more involved with their families. Congress should adopt policies that help low-income fathers get training for good-paying jobs, support two-parent families, and reform the child support system to encourage fathers to be more involved in the lives of their kids.

We must do more as a community — and as a nation — to strengthen families and assist fathers to stay active in the lives of their children.

Creating strong family connections is critical to reducing poverty. Let this Father’s Day be the start of a new commitment in our community and in our nation to find more ways to strengthen families, help low-income dads, and reduce many of the challenges caused by family disruption, allowing children to fall into poverty. This will not only result in a brighter future for their children but it will also secure the common good and build a stronger community and nation.

Martha Mitternight

Natchez resident