Dear Friends,
It has been a remarkably busy few months since our last newsletter, and I am thrilled to share some of the highlights with you.
Kids First has been actively engaged in numerous initiatives aimed at enhancing our positive impact on families in transition and the professionals who assist them. Our ongoing workshops for parents and children continue, and we are excited to highlight the launch of the Kids First Institute's series on parallel parenting, with the next session scheduled for January 30, 2025 (details listed in the calendar below). We have also expanded our free online webinar offerings. In October, we partnered with The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) to present "Good Digital Co-Parenting," followed by the November webinar, "Co-Parenting Through the Holidays." Both sessions were well-attended and received enthusiastic feedback. Please see below for more information on upcoming free webinars.
We extend our thanks to the Maine State Bar Association for once again hosting Kids First at its Fall “Bridging the Gap" session for newly admitted Maine attorneys. Similarly, we made new connections at the Maine School Counselor Association (MESCA) conference in Augusta and at the Maine Association for Nonprofits (MANP) Connects meetings in Bangor. We were privileged to present at the Woodford Family Services training in October. As we move into the new year, Kids First will continue its outreach to raise awareness of its mission.
Focusing on professional development, Kids First partnered with Caring Unlimited, York County's domestic abuse agency, to conduct a half-day training session centered on the intersection of domestic abuse and co-parenting for our staff, board, and program facilitators. I brought back many cutting-edge ideas and research from the 16th Symposium on Child Custody of the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts (AFCC) in Columbus, Ohio.
In the final weeks of 2024, we launched our end-of-year donation appeal and have been actively engaging with our business partners to line up sponsors for all the programs and events planned for 2025. We are continually planning for upcoming challenges while striving to provide the best possible support to the broadest audience. We appreciate your ongoing interest and support of the Kids First mission.
Happy New Year!