Institute for Advanced Professional Learning

Kids First was established with the goal of uniting professionals from various fields—especially legal and mental health—to collaborate towards a shared objective: enhancing the lives of children by reducing their exposure to conflict during their parents' divorce and separation. 

The Kids First Center is excited to introduce the Kids First Institute for Professional Learning. Throughout the year, the Institute will explore important topics for professionals supporting families with children raised by separated parents. This initiative includes four 2-hour webinars and a culminating in-person conference in Fall 2025, gathering experts to enhance co-parenting practices across various disciplines.

  2026 Institute: The Court Says Go, but the Kids say NO!
Multidisciplinary Approaches to Resist/Refuse Dynamics

Come join Kids First Institute for Advanced Professional Learning as we embark on our 2026 Year of Learning: 

• Webinar #1:
  “Parent Child Contact Problems: From Research to the Bench”
  Tuesday, February 10th, 2 – 4pm
  Register for Webinar 1 Now
  
  
• Webinar #2:
  "The Push and Pull Between Parental Alienation and Valid Estrangement"
  Tuesday, April 28th, 2 - 4pm
  Register for Webinar 2 Now
  
  
• Webinar #3:
  “Healing Parent-Child Relationships: Interventions Across Disciplines”
  Tuesday, July 21st, 2 - 4pm
  Register for Webinar 3 Now
  
  
• October 2026 Conference
  featuring keynote speaker, Dr. Marsha Kline Pruett, Ph.D., M.S.L., M.S.
  (This will be a full day, likely Friday the 2nd and location TBD)
  Register for Full Day Conference
    

Cases involving children who resist or refuse parent contact are among the most challenging in the family court system. These complex cases touch on issues of alienation, estrangement, domestic violence, and trauma informed reunification, and 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! 

  Moderators

     Nick Galanin 

Nick's diverse work experience prior to law from running a theatre camp to working in the credit industry, and his extensive foreign language studies, have given him a well-rounded and community focused approach to family law. 

Prior to opening his own firm, Nick worked as an associate attorney at MillerAsen, P.A. representing individuals in divorces, separations, parental rights actions, protection orders, and modifications of established court orders.

Nick is a graduate of Colgate University and earned his law degree from the University of Maine School of Law. Nick also holds a Certificate in Mediation from the University of Southern Maine.  During law school, he served as a volunteer translator and interpreter for the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic. Nick also worked as a trial assistant at a criminal defense firm in Portland coordinating extensively with clients, courts, mental health professionals, and substance use recovery programs.

More about Nick Galanin is found at Galanin Family Law.

   Terri DeCoster, MS, CPC 

Terri DeCoster is a certified family mediator, professional coach, and divorce educator with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of co-parent education, family transitions, and child-centered approaches to family wellbeing and resilience. She holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology and brings a family systems lens to her work—recognizing that growth in one family member can positively shift the entire family dynamic. Her practice focuses on helping parents navigate separation, divorce, and re-partnering through evidence-based education and skill-building interventions.

Terri is a longtime facilitator at the Kids First Center, where she was a founding board member and recipient of the organization’s Outstanding Service Award. With her colleagues at Kids First, she designs and delivers co-parenting workshops that prioritize children's needs while supporting parents through complex transitions. Her educational approach combines compassion with practical skill development, emphasizing communication strategies, conflict reduction, and sustainable co-parenting frameworks. She also serves as a presenter for the Maine Divorce Workshop for Women, bringing trauma-informed perspectives to her teaching. 

In addition to her work as an educator and facilitator, Terri serves on the Board of Directors of the Maine Association of Mediators and is on the CADRES family court roster in Maine. She is also a presenter for the Maine Divorce Workshop for Women, bringing trauma-informed perspectives to her teaching. Terri is committed to ongoing education and has completed advanced training in high-conflict mediation, co-parent coaching, and other specialized programs—dedicated to helping parents move forward with confidence and build strong, child-focused co-parenting relationships. Her work is grounded in both professional expertise and lived experience, with a commitment to reducing divorce stigma and helping families heal and reimagine their co-parenting relationship in a more peaceful way.  

More about Terri Decoster at terridecoster.com.