Braswell serves as the Executive Director of Father’s incorporated. 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 fathers. In recent years, FI has provided capacity building and organization assessment expertise to not-for-profits looking to engage in the field of responsible fatherhood. It is his own experience with his children that has heightened his awareness and desire to eliminate the challenges faced by men seeking to establish or maintain parental relationships when there is a divorce or separation.

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 (www.kennethbraswell.com) is a national expert, frequent speaker and trainer. He is also the Director of the New York State Fatherhood Initiative where since 2006 he manages $9 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.

Fathers, Incorporated is a New York State not-for-profit (S) corporation and is dedicated to strengthening the community and family infrastructure by encouraging and enabling the positive involvement of fathers in the lives of their children.  We will do this by increasing awareness among fathers of their responsibilities and impact through community collaborations, providing support services, training, and assistance to fathers in need of sustenance and direction. Our services will build the capacity of fathers, not through legislative means that may further fragment and increase the adversarial relationships between mothers and fathers, but through the process of education and collaboration. Our premise is that providing services and support to fathers who are looking for assistance and/or encouragement to fulfill their responsibilities as fathers will ultimately be more effective in achieving our goal.

Throughout the country, organizations are focusing on the issue of absentee fathers and all its attendant disturbing effects and statistics.  Fathers, Inc. recognizes the need for all to reaffirm the benefit of fathers to the family.  To do so, our main focus will be on the development of fathers, although not to the exclusion of mothers. Unwed men who are struggling with life invariably and frequently negatively impact all who give care and direction to their children. Individuals, generations, and the society as a whole, feels the impact of this abdication. When fathers and mothers cannot work things out amicably and civilly, often one or both, abdicates their responsibility as parent. For these reasons, we recognize the need for parallel maternal involvement and development, specifically as those things intersect around parental responsibility.

Current programs, accomplishments and affiliations.

• “Teenagers And Attitudes Toward Fatherhood” Report - As part of a process of identifying attitudes and opinions, Fathers, Inc. held three focus groups designed to assist in understanding the attitudes of teenagers with regards to fatherhood. This knowledge would be used in designing programs to address those attitudes and opinions in an effort to interrupt the cycle of irresponsible/absentee parenting – especially as it regards fathers. The mission of the focus groups was to obtain insight and information regarding the attitudes of teenagers towards fatherhood. However the information gathered also allowed for other valuable insight around issues such as effective child/parent communication, self-reflection, perceptions of others, learning process of life, and human behavior.

• Creating a Father Friendly Support Services Environment (for practitioners) Brochure and Training – Fathers Inc. has created several products, trainings and presentations for capacity building of organizations seeking to or already engaged in responsible fatherhood programming.

Our organizational relationships and networks are both formal and informal. We are members of, or work in collaboration with several national and local organization to provide a more comprehensive array of services.

Board Member - National Fathers Leader Group (NFLG)
Board Member – Fathers and Families Coalition of America (FFCA)
Member – Hudson Valley Fatherhood Alliance
New York State Parenting Educators Partnership

These organizations have agendas similar in goal, but unique in implementation. NFLG is a National Advocacy focused on the policy and legislation. FFCA provides a national conference in the west. HVFA is a small local network of interested organizations designed to provide responsible fatherhood services in the Hudson Valley of New York and NYSPEP is a network of interested organizations focused on standardizing parenting educator certification.
 

Kenneth Braswell (left) and Yuri Hinson (right) chatting before the taping of "I'm Just Sayin" with Cathleen Williams in New York City.