Fathers Incorporated’s “Next Level Fatherhood” program empowers, adds value, and transforms dads to strengthen their children and families.
ATLANTA (April 23, 2024) __The Gentle Warriors Academy (GWA), the service delivery arm of Fathers Incorporated (FI), is designed to help adult fathers (ages 18 and older) incorporate practices and behaviors for managing the responsibilities of being parents/co-parents and partners. Today, it graduates 14 fathers who are in its “Next Level Fatherhood” program and are currently incarcerated in the Fulton County Jail.
Ranging in age from 19 to 51, the fathers have completed their 10-week fatherhood-centered curriculum that has been taking place two times a week for two hours each since March 5, 2024. Bruce Griggs, a former correctional officer, facilitates the “Next Level Fatherhood” curriculum and subsequent training. The content and approach are adapted from research and evidence-informed Fathers Incorporated training to ensure comprehensive and culturally relevant programming geared toward parents in low-income communities. The modules focus on:
“We’re celebrating not only a graduation but a profound journey of transformation and courage,” says Kenneth Braswell, founder and CEO of FI. “Each father who is graduating has taken significant strides towards rewriting their story for themselves and their children and families. As they step forward from this day, they carry not just a certificate but a renewed commitment to their role as irreplaceable figures in their families’ lives.”
The program was made possible by a five-year Healthy Marriage Promotion and Responsible Fatherhood (FIRE) Grant awarded in 2020 from the Administration of Children and Families Office of Family Assistance (OFA). The 10-week curriculum focuses on improving the fathers’ parenting skills, improving life skills, and helping fathers understand their role in promoting healthy children and families. This 5-year grant will allow FI to serve more than 900 fathers in the 7 counties (Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, Clayton, Henry, Rockdale) in the metro Atlanta area. To date, the Gentle Warriors Academy has served 776 fathers.
“Programming aimed at supporting and educating incarcerated fathers can have a significant impact, not only on the fathers themselves but also on their families and communities,” says Fulton County Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat. “We are proud of these men demonstrating their determination, resilience, and commitment to personal growth.”
“It is important that we provide training to our fathers who are returning to the community to ensure they have the tools needed to establish their rights, understand the impact of present and active fatherhood, and ensure they have the resources they need to be productive members of their community again,” says Javin Foreman, project director for Gentle Warriors Academy. “Upon release, participants can connect with Fathers Incorporated resources, including Case Managers, Life Coaches, Navigators, and more.”
This is the third cohort of this grant this year, but the first from Fulton County Jail. The program leaders talk to the incarcerated participants about the importance of legitimation (the unwed father’s first step in establishing their paternal rights), and the process is highlighted during their workshops.
About Fathers Incorporated
Fathers Incorporated (FI) works to change the current societal and cultural definition of family to be inclusive of fathers and works collaboratively with organizations around the country to identify and advocate for social and legislative changes that lead to healthy father involvement with children, regardless of the father’s marital status, economic status or geographic location.
