Voice shaking, eyes bright, Devon Lane described his fear of becoming a father. Speaking before a group of more than 300 young fathers, social workers and family advocates, Lane said he had never known his own father, but was determined to play a meaningful role in his son's childhood.

The first Baltimore Area Young Fathers' Conference was held at the New Shiloh Baptist Family Life Center in January. Sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, including Casey Family Services, and the Black Women's Agenda, Inc., the conference featured a variety of workshops and presentations aimed at helping young fathers to become stronger, more positive role models for their children. Workshops covered topics from child support, higher education, and economic self-sufficiency to anger management and law enforcement discrimination.

"We are committed to this work," said Raymond Torres, executive director of Casey Family Services, "because when fathers are able to provide positive leadership, families are stronger." The Baltimore Division's Fatherhood Program is part of a national initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation that focuses on helping fathers who are not living with their children to reconnect and share in their upbringing.

It took Devon Lane three tries to drum up the courage to join Casey's Fatherhood Program. He's glad he did, he told conference participants. With Casey's Male Involvement Coordinator Darryl Green's encouragement and counsel, Lane was able to finish high school, get a job, and begin to forge a better relationship with the mother of his preschool son. Green notes Lane's progress, saying, "Devon is determined to be a good father, and through all the ups and downs, he continues to overcome the obstacles."

Those obstacles were all too familiar to the conference participants, many of whom grew up in poverty without positive male role models and with no sense of connection or belonging other than on the street. Many young dads are underemployed or unemployed and as a result have no access to health care and little ability to pay child support. Instead of "deadbeat dads," Green says the more accurate description would be "dead-broke dads."

The keynote speaker, best-selling author Dr. Haki Madhubuti, spoke about the importance of education in the road to self-empowerment. Listing his ten "Laws of Empowerment," he encouraged his audience to read, be prepared in all situations, revere ideas, learning and knowledge, and to "magnify (their) children's minds with art."

His latest book, Tough Notes: A Healing Call for Creating Exceptional Black Men, emphasizes the need for African-American men to understand their roles as fathers within the context of their heritage and culture.

In addition to learning effective ways to navigate an often-unsupportive system, these young men were challenged to take responsibility for improving their lives and the lives of their children. Wendy Winters, a member of the Black Women's Agenda and Casey's Board of Advisors, said that the conference reinforced the very basis of our society: education and academic achievement, the right to health care and economic self-sufficiency. Reflecting Casey's mission, it illuminated the fact that this was not just about males and dads -- it was about families.

Echoing the importance of fathers in building strong families, Anna Williams, director of Casey's Baltimore Division, declared, "We don't have to wait until June for Father's Day. Every day is Father's Day!"