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Our History
The history of the Kids First Center
represents a unique collaboration between attorneys,
mental health providers, court officials and consumers.
| The 1980's |
Growing awareness
in Southern Maine that children were often needing
clinical help due to contention between divorcing
parents, often fueled by distrust and lack of communication
between legal and mental health professionals. |
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| 1988 |
A group of professionals form
the legal and mental health fields collaborate to
form Resources for Divorced Families (RFDF). Their
goal: help parents negotiate the transition of separation
and divorce with the least possible negative effect
on their children. |
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| 1989 |
The 4-hour Kids First Program
is created by RFDF and is held in church basements
and community halls for a number of years. |
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| Summer, 1996 |
The Junior League of Portland,
with assistance from the Center for Grieving Children,
identifies a gap in services supporting children
of separation and divorce. They joined with RFDF
and provided grant money for the startup of a new
nonprofit organization. |
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| January, 1998 |
Kids First Center opens its doors
at 222 St. John Street in Portland, Maine. The Center
has since served as many as 3,500 Maine parents and
children per year. |
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| 2005 |
The Kids First Program is offered
to parents outside Maine for the first time. Facilitators
associated with the Poway
Unified School District
in San Diego, CA and The
Children’s Health
Council in
Palo Alto, CA receive facilitator training by
Kids First. |
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| "Parents
divorce each other, not their kids." - Child
from Support Group II (ages 9-11) |
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