All posts by Fathers Incorporated

Fathers Incorporated (FI) is a national, non-profit organization working to build stronger families and communities through the promotion of Responsible Fatherhood. Established in 2004, FI has a unique seat at the national table, working with leaders in the White House, Congress, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Family Law, and the Responsible Fatherhood Movement. FI 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 or economic status, or geographic location. From employment and incarceration issues, to child support and domestic violence, FI addresses long-standing problems to achieve long-term results for children, their families, the communities, and nation in which they live.

interior of a courtroom viewed from the gallery looking toward the judge's bend

Child Support Without a Villain: Rebuilding the Narrative and the System (Part II)

Reforming the child support system, which affects millions of families across all 50 states and costs billions of dollars annually to administer, is not a matter of political preference. It’s a matter of social responsibility.

small group of people sitting in a circle with one person placing a hand on the shoulder of another

What Kept Me Here: My Story of Suicide, Hope, and Worth

You are not your worst day, your red numbers, your divorce decree, your diagnosis, your court date, or your secret. You are not the sum of your disappointments. You are a father, a mother, a child, a friend, a builder, a teacher, a maker of ordinary miracles. Your name is needed in rooms you haven’t walked into yet.

a close-up of the hands of two individuals discussing charts on a clipboard and a screen of a tablet

The Hard Truth About Federal Funding and Philanthropic Giving

Nonprofit leaders must build organizations strong enough, deep enough, and clear enough in purpose to ensure that no funding source — federal, philanthropic, or private — ever becomes the author of their mission.

child hugging her father while the mother looks on from the background

7 Critical Co-Parenting Tips: Essential Strategies for Fathers

Every father has the potential to be a positive and impactful presence in their child’s life, regardless of the family structure. These seven tips can help you navigate your co-parenting journey with confidence and compassion.

an arrangement of wooden figures representing a family; a hand separates the father from the rest of the family

Georgia Legitimation Reform: Fathers Incorporated at the Columbus Hearing

Georgia’s goal should be humane and straightforward. It must ensure that when both parents want to parent, the law says “yes” quickly, safely, and consistently. And when the parents disagree, the law must sort out the “best interest” question without making children strangers to one of the two people they need most. 

Gavel, sound block and little wooden figures of parents and children placed on desk in courthouse up close, judge and scales of justice in background. Featured image for a blog post about child support

The Child Support System Needs a Villain (Part 1)

For any system to present itself as powerful, righteous, or heroic, it must have an opposing threat. For child support, that’s not systemic inequity or structural poverty; it’s fathers cast as deadbeats. As absentees. As villains with faulty moral compasses. And once that narrative is set, everything else follows.

Why “Let Me Pick Your Brain” Costs More Than You Know

When someone reduces a lifetime of bruises, breakthroughs, and back-against-the-wall prayers to a free consultation (“Can I pick your brain?”), it’s not a minor oversight. It’s an act of quiet theft, and every theft of value chips away at joy.

5 Critical Policy Changes to Remove Legal and Economic Barriers Faced by Black Fathers

We believe – and it’s supported by the “Breaking the Chains” report – that Black fathers are fighting to stay involved with their children even while contending with barriers that many never face. Some of the most important support we can provide involves not only helping fathers navigate the hurdles but eliminating them from the path for fathers now and in the future. The reforms and policy directives outlined above move us in that direction.

family court, legitimation, georgia, fatherhood

The Maze of Fatherhood: Why Georgia Must Reform Legitimation Now

In Georgia, a child born to unmarried parents is not automatically granted the legal right to both parents. While this may come as a surprise to many, to the thousands of fathers served by Fathers Incorporated, it’s a harsh and often heartbreaking reality.

The Power to Release: What Forgiveness Teaches Us About Manhood

Forgiveness isn’t about getting the other person to change. It’s about not letting what they did change you anymore. It’s an act of liberation. It’s an act of maturity. And it’s an invitation to healing.

Op-Ed: Empowering Black Men — Reclaiming Our Health, Rewriting Our Legacy

How many aspects of our lives could drastically improve with just a few minutes of intentional care daily? This revelation prompted me to emphasize one critical truth: “Not taking care of yourself, particularly when you have children and family, is the most selfish act you can engage in.”