ABOUT ANDRE APPARICIO

Andre Apparicio is a nationally recognized fatherhood advocate, educator, and systems-change leader dedicated to advancing father inclusion across early childhood, maternal health, and family-serving systems. He is the Founder of Dad-A-Port, Co-Founder of the A’sani Heartbeat Foundation, former Vice Chair of Louisiana’s Statewide Fatherhood Engagement Task Force, and a Rockwood Institute PN-3 Power Building Fellow.

Andre formerly served as a Fatherhood Specialist at early childhood development center, where he worked directly with fathers and families to strengthen father engagement, parenting confidence, and access to resources. Through his Dad Ready Prep classes, he equips fathers with practical tools to confidently navigate pregnancy, birth, postpartum, the NICU, and early fatherhood.

Andre also played an integral role in the statewide organizing, advocacy, and policy work that helped lead to the formation of Louisiana’s Fatherhood Commission, which begins its work in October 2026. His leadership has helped elevate fathers’ voices from community conversations to statewide policy and systems change.

As a father whose journey includes the NICU experience with his extremely premature twins, Andre blends lived experience, professional practice, and systems advocacy to ensure fathers are supported as essential partners from pregnancy through discharge and beyond. His guiding belief is simple: Fatherhood support is family support.