Fathers Incorporated

With over 20 years of community development experience, Braswell serves as the Executive Director of Fathers Incorporated (FI) ( www.fathersincorporated.com ). At Fathers, Incorporated he focuses on the need to reaffirm the benefit of fathers within the family service paradigm.

Since 2004 the agencies’ main focus has been on the development of support and services for fathers. FI, a not-for-profit organization, will serves as a leader in the promotion of Responsible Fatherhood and Mentoring.

This International, National, and local focus raises the awareness about, and combats the impact of father absence. We do this through the use of innovative social marketing and multi-media platforms, traditional communications, and product development. We seek to expand the range of work in the fields of comprehensive and non-traditional family service models. FI will work to change the current societal and cultural definition of family to include fathers.

As the field of Responsible Fatherhood expands, it is imperative that we examine the full scope of service capacity and consumer need. Recently, the economic stability of non-custodial parents has been increasingly affected by the lack of employment opportunities and increasing debt. In the past, service providers have focused almost exclusively on reducing poverty for mothers and children.

Today, research and practice tells us that we must do the same for fathers in order to ensure that they can provide for the well-being of their children - both emotionally and financially. The field continues to make strides in the traditional areas of service for fathers, for example, in the areas of child support, employment and training, re-entry and domestic violence. There are, however, additional areas of service needs which must be explored in order to fully provide low-income fathers with the tools necessary to be better fathers and men.

Braswell is the author of “*When The Tear Won’t Fall*,” and recently released workbook, “*Gentle Warriors*.” He has also published “What you should know about Teen Parenting Period,” and a report entitled “Teenagers and their Attitudes towards Fatherhood.” Braswell has been featured/mentioned in Essence, Gospel Today, Capital Region Parent Pages, BSI International’s IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD®, Philadelphia Inquirer, Times Union and various other media forums

Mr. Braswell is a national expert, frequent speaker, trainer and father of four beautiful children. He is also the Director of the New York State Fatherhood Initiative ( www.dads.ny.gov ) where since 2006 he has managed over $11 million in programs and the NYS Noncustodial Earned Income Tax Credit.

Braswell is a board member of the National Fatherhood Leaders Group and the Fathers and Families Coalition of America.