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On Father’s Day, Obama rues dad’s absence in life

Celebrating Father’s Day, US President Barack Obama said he wished his own father had been more involved in his life and backed reform of child support laws to get more men “working and engaged” with their children.

Updated on: Jun 17, 2013, 01:37:35 IST
PTI | By , Washington
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Celebrating Father’s Day, US President Barack Obama said he wished his own father had been more involved in his life and backed reform of child support laws to get more men “working and engaged” with their children.

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“Today we’re blessed to live in a world where technology allows us to connect instantly with just about anyone on the planet. But no matter how advanced we get, there will never be a substitute for the love and support and, most importantly, the presence of a parent in a child’s life. And in many ways, that’s uniquely true for fathers,” Obama said.

Obama’s parents divorced when he was a young child, and he was raised by his mother and maternal grandparents.

“I never really knew my own father. I was raised by a single mom and two wonderful grandparents who made incredible sacrifices for me,” he said.

Obama spoke ahead of Father’s Day, celebrated on Sunday across the world, and used the occasion to rekindle the national conversation on fatherhood he launched in 2009.

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