Kids First Center for Co-Parent Education & Family Resilience

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Kids First Center for Co-Parent Education & Family Resilience

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Co-parenting education programs

Kids First Center is a Maine-based 501(3)(c) non-profit dedicated to alleviating childhood distress, anxiety, and suffering caused by exposure to conflict between co-parents.

10/23/2026

Hello from our Executive Director, Tom Doherty, who is tabling today at Maine's Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference!!

Decades of research are clear that ongoing conflict between parents influences brain development. Children in high-conflict separations face measurably higher rates of anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems. But the research also says something hopeful: conflict does the damage, not divorce, and conflict can be reduced.

That is why Kids First is here at Maine’s Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference, getting the word out to early childhood professionals about the critical co-parenting education Kids First can provide, eliminating the negative impacts of parent conflict on children’s development. Early intervention is key to our work and referrals from early childhood professionals could make the difference in a child's life.

Come by the Kids First Center table Friday or Saturday to say hi, grab a brochure, and learn more about our programs. Help us help kids and spread the word about Kids First! 💛❤️💙

09/14/2026

It's all been leading up to this!

The Kids First Institute for Advanced Professional Learning (KFI) invites our professional colleagues to the KFI 2026 Conference, "𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙎𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙂𝙤, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙉𝙊! 𝙈𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩/𝙍𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝘿𝙮𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙨".

This year our professional conference focuses on cases involving children who resist or refuse parent contact.

These complex cases are among the most challenging in the family court system, touching on issues of alienation, estrangement, domestic violence, and trauma informed reunification. They often require collaboration among legal, mental health, medical, and school professionals. Leading scholars now address these "Parent–Child Contact Problems" through a multidisciplinary, multi-factor team approach.

Come be part of OUR team as we explore these challenging issues and discuss best practices for helping kids in Maine and beyond!

We're pleased to share that have been approved for 6 hours of CLE credit, including 1.5 hours of ethics credit, so you can deepen your practice while fulfilling your continuing education requirements. Certificates will be available for all other professionals.

Early-bird pricing ends end-of-day tomorrow!

Register now: https://info.kidsfirst.center/widget/form/QCvfCiXl3MR4zalLatj4

08/04/2026

🏃🏃THANK YOU, TEAM KIDS FIRST!! 🏃🏃

What an incredible day at the Beach to Beacon 10K! 🎉 To every single runner who laced up and represented Team Kids First — THANK YOU. Your dedication, your miles, and your heart made this year's race a huge success.

Because of YOU, parents and children in our community will continue to have access to the support and resources they need to build family resilience, like the resilience you showed on Saturday! We are endlessly grateful for your participation and the generosity of everyone who cheered you on and supported your fundraising. 💙

Didn't get a chance to make your donation before race day? No worries — our donation page is still open for three more days! Every contribution helps us keep showing up for kids and families.

Donate here 👉 https://kidsfirstcenter.rallyup.com/2026beachtobeacon

Thank you again, Team Kids First — you crossed the finish line for something bigger than a medal. 🏅

07/28/2026

📌 SAVE THE DATE 📌

Kids First Institute's 2026 Conference is coming this fall!

🗓️ Friday, October 2nd, 2026
📍 Hilton Garden Inn, Freeport, Maine

"The Court Says Go, but the Kids say NO!"
Multidisciplinary Approaches to Resist/Refuse Dynamics

Featuring keynote speaker Dr. Marsha Kline Pruett, Ph.D., M.S.L., M.S.

It's all been leading up to this! After three well-attended webinars on resist/refuse dynamics, we're bringing the conversation together in person — with each webinar briefly reviewed so you're all caught up, whether you attended or not.

✅ CE credits available for mental health professionals, lawyers, GALs, and other family-serving professionals
🎟️ Early-Bird pricing available now through September 15th

Registration is open now — reserve your spot today!
👉 link.apisystem.tech/widget/form/QCvfCiXl3MR4zalLatj4

07/24/2026

With the Beach to Beacon 10K only about a week away we are thrilled to present another TEAM KIDS FIRST RUNNER SPOTLIGHT!!!🔆

Meet Trixie Betz and find out why she's running for Team Kids First:

"I grew up in New York but spent every summer of my life on the Blue Hill Peninsula, and Maine always felt more like home. I love spending time on the ocean, whether it’s swimming, sailing, or island camping. You can find me at the beach, riding around Portland on my moped, or at home crafting at my kitchen table. I love to sew my own clothes especially.

I ran cross country in high school and have been trying to get back into running, so this felt like the perfect opportunity. My boss Jonathan Asen is on the board and encouraged me to help raise money for Kids First, so I’m glad I get to do this! We have a contingent of Team Hannah folks who are running representing her, so keep an eye out for us!"

Trixie, thank you so much for being yet another invaluable member of the Kids First Beach to Beacon Team!! We are so grateful for your involvement in our cause! 💛❤️💙

You can donate to Trixie's run by following the QR code on the image or this link: https://kidsfirstcenter.rallyup.com/2026beachtobeacon/m/5ad3f9

Go Team Kids First!!📣

07/23/2026

The Beach to Beacon 10K is almost here and it's time for another TEAM KIDS FIRST RUNNER SPOTLIGHT!!!🔆

Casey Maddock tells us a bit about herself and why she's running for Team Kids First:

"I’m a born and raised Mainer currently living in Portland and a middle school math and science teacher. I first started running to help calm my mind during my last semester of college and to help me get through all the life changes that come with being a new graduate. I love that running is super easily accessible and allows me to see my state from a different perspective.

I first got involved with Kids First when I expressed interest in running the B2B to a family friend who was heavily involved and told me about the opportunity to fundraise for a bib. I have since volunteered at the Bidding for Brighter Futures Gala and got to learn even more about the amazing work they do. Every day in my classroom, I see children carrying stress and anxiety from home and love any opportunity that allows me to help them get the resources they need to be successful."

Casey, thank you so much for being an invaluable member of the Kids First Beach to Beacon Team!! We are so grateful for your dedication to the cause! 💛❤️💙

You can donate to Casey's run by following the QR code on the image or this link: https://kidsfirstcenter.rallyup.com/2026beachtobeacon/m/3c07cf

Go Team Kids First!!📣

07/17/2026

With the Beach to Beacon 10K only a few weeks away we are thrilled to present our first TEAM KIDS FIRST RUNNER SPOTLIGHT!!!🔆

𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗠. tells us a little about herself and why she's running for Team Kids First:

"I live in Portland and found that running in Maine is a wonderful way to explore this beautiful state we all live in. There are parts of this state that cannot be accessed unless you run or walk there, and there are simply so many places to explore. I especially love running up part of the Maine coastline, jumping into the ocean to cool down, and getting an ice cream cone on the way back to my car.

I am running for Kids First because I am a Victim's Rights Attorney, and I believe that what is in the best interest of children should be at the heart of family separation. Because of this, I am so glad that organizations like Kids First exist to re-center children as the priority."

Sanchita, thank you so much for being an invaluable member of the Kids First Beach to Beacon Team!! We are so grateful for your dedication to the cause! 💛❤️💙

You can donate to Sanchita's run by following the QR code on the image or this link: https://kidsfirstcenter.rallyup.com/2026beachtobeacon/m/232c90

Go Team Kids First!!📣

07/16/2026

Only a few days remain until our much-anticipated final webinar of KFI 2026!
REGISTER NOW to attend and learn from our fantastic presenters how to build a collaborative framework that is child-focused, improves family functioning, and repairs child-parent relationships.

Register: https://link.apisystem.tech/widget/form/GGPwiQ4hN8tuLnk1qCgs

Learn more: https://www.kidsfirstcenter.org/institute

07/09/2026

Our annual Beach to Beacon 10k with our team of 25 runners is less than a month away and we need your support! Your donation encourages our team and furthers our mission to support kids and parents through separation and divorce. Check out the link below to donate! Support Team Kids First today!

https://kidsfirstcenter.rallyup.com/2026beachtobeacon

06/25/2026

It's that time of year again folks! We are so thrilled to have so many exceptional athletes running on behalf of Kids First Center in this year's Beach to Beacon 10K!

Head on over to our event page, check out our fantastic team, and show your support for building stronger Maine families with a donation to our dedicated runners. Every dollar raised goes towards supporting families as they navigate the challenges of separation or divorce.

Go Team Kids First!!📣💛❤️💙

https://kidsfirstcenter.rallyup.com/2026beachtobeacon

Address

51 U.S. Route 1, Suite R2
Scarborough, ME
04074

Telephone

+12077612709

Website

http://kidsfirstcenter.org/

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