Groundbreaking Gathering to Feature New Books by Dr. Jeffery M. Johnson and Dr. Ronald B. Mincy, alongside an Innovative AI Certification Workshop for Social Workers.
Drs. Jeffery M. Johnson and Ronald Mincy
Nationwide — The National Partnership for Community Leadership (NPCL) is proud to announce the 28th Annual International Father and Family Practitioners Conference, taking place June 8-10, 2026, at the Bethesdan Hilton Hotel in the Washington, DC metropolitan area (Bethesda, MD). Recognized as the premier, longest-running gathering for professionals dedicated to strengthening families, this year’s theme, “Empowering the Path Forward: Research, Policy, and Practice,” serves as an urgent, highly necessary call to action to address systemic barriers and foster community resilience.
Conference host Dr. Jeffery M. Johnson, President and CEO of NPCL and a historic architect of the national fatherhood movement, will lead the three-day summit. A visionary advocate for grassroots capacity building over top-down bureaucracy, Dr. Johnson will highlight critical frameworks from his two highly anticipated new books: From Endangered to Empowered: Solutions for Thriving in America—a definitive policy roadmap for marginalized men in crisis—and Roots of Resilience: My Tooson Family Story, a profound exploration of intergenerational strength, family history, and spiritual endurance.
The opening plenary session will feature a transformative keynote address by Dr. Ronald B. Mincy, renowned scholar and recently retired Maurice V. Russell Professor of Social Policy and Social Work Practice at Columbia University. Dr. Mincy will share vital empirical insights from his groundbreaking new book, How Fathers Help Their Children Develop: Money and Love, co-authored with Dr. Natasha Cabrera. Their collaborative research fundamentally challenges the “wallet-first” deadbeat myth, demonstrating the powerful, necessary intersection of emotional engagement and financial support in shaping children’s cognitive development, particularly within communities facing severe socioeconomic adversity.
In a bold move to address the administrative burnout plaguing community agencies and non-profits, the 2026 conference will feature a highly specialized certification workshop: “AI as a Force Multiplier: Practical Productivity for the Modern Fatherhood Practitioner.” This cutting-edge session will equip frontline practitioners, grant writers, and non-profit directors with the artificial intelligence tools necessary to streamline complex case management and rapidly scale their daily program administration, allowing them to focus entirely on vital, human-to-human mentorship.
“We are moving beyond the abstract and dealing directly with the reality of family preservation,” said Dr. Jeffery M. Johnson. “This conference provides the direct empirical evidence, the policy advocacy through our ‘Day on the Hill,’ and the modern technological tools required to empower practitioners and, ultimately, the fathers and children they serve.”
The comprehensive agenda also features the Spirit of Fatherhood Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon, the Favorite Fathers Reception, and a vital keynote session by Dr. Stewart Perrilliat on modern masculinity and internal healing. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for professionals participating in all certified workshops.
Frontline practitioners, researchers, state policymakers, and community leaders are urgently requested to secure their attendance. For comprehensive registration details, exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, and to view the full three-day agenda, please visit the official website at www.npclfathersandfamilies.org
For further inquiries or assistance regarding the conference, please contact the NPCL office directly at 202-600-7817.
For press inquiries, contact National Partnership for Community Leadership (NPCL) at 202-600-7817