By Kenneth Braswell, CEO, Fathers Incorporated

Parenting is not a solo act; it’s a team effort. Somewhere along the way, however, the culture separated the idea of parenting from co-parenting, as though they were two different languages spoken in two different households. 

At Fathers Incorporated (FI), in the work of fatherhood, we believe those two words should never have been divided in the first place. Parenting, by definition, implies cooperation, partnership, and teamwork.

For the past two decades, FI has remained steadfast in our mission to strengthen fathers so families can thrive. Through programs like the Gentle Warriors Academy (GWA), we’ve witnessed firsthand the transformation that occurs when a father is equipped with the tools, confidence, and support to show up for his children fully. 

As we’ve evolved in this work — listening to the voices of fathers, mothers, partners, and families — we’ve learned that supporting dads alone is only part of the equation. The next chapter of our journey demands that we strengthen the team surrounding the father, as well. That’s why we are introducing Dad & Company: Building an Effective Co-Parenting Team — a new initiative grounded in the principles of responsible fatherhood but expanded to include everyone who plays a role in raising healthy, resilient children.

A co-parenting team can look many different ways. Sometimes it’s mom and dad navigating the challenges of shared custody. Other times, it’s a father raising his child with the help of his mother, his siblings, or a trusted neighbor. It can include the mother’s parents, her support circle, her church community, or a new partner who shares a commitment to the child’s well-being. The co-parenting team structure may shift, but the mission remains constant: ensuring that every child grows up surrounded by love, stability, and accountability from all who claim a stake in their future.

Dad & Company invites us to redefine what family teamwork looks like. It encourages fathers to lead with humility and emotional intelligence, to recognize that their children’s success depends on the collective strength of the adults who love them. It challenges mothers, family members, and community partners to see fatherhood as collaboration, not competition. It calls all of us to the table to manage differences, share in decision-making, and find common ground where children can stand strong.

This new GWA program is not a departure from FI’s mission; it’s an expansion. We remain deeply rooted in the work of equipping fathers to be their best selves, and we are adding a new layer — supporting the support systems that surround fathers. We believe that strong fathers are essential, and that strong parenting teams are unstoppable.

The success of a family does not depend solely on romantic partnerships, however. It depends on shared responsibility, effective communication, deep trust, and mutual respect. It depends on parents’ willingness to see the humanity in one another, even when circumstances are complicated and relationships shift. When love changes form, parenting doesn’t end. It continues, calling for more maturity, empathy, and grace, not less.

At FI, we envision a future where fathers and their co-parents — however the team is defined — work together intentionally, where decisions about education, discipline, faith, and love are collaborations, not battles. Healthy family ecosystems rely on commitment, not control. In this vision, all strengths are recognized, all weaknesses supported, and no one is ostracized for imperfection. Our children deserve more than good intentions. They deserve coordinated love.

Over the coming months, as we prepare to roll out Dad & Company, our focus will remain the same: helping fathers grow into the men and parents they aspire to be. At the same time, our gaze will widen. It will expand to include the mothers, grandparents, relatives, and community allies who stand beside our dads. 

We may never reach a world where every parent partnership is easy. We can, however, build one where every parenting team is strong, informed, and committed to the same goal: the flourishing of their children. That is the future FI is building — one father, one family, one co-parenting team at a time.