Register

Parenting as Partners

Fatherhood
Date December 17, 2026
Time 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Location Virtual
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Training description

Co-parenting quality is one of the strongest predictors of child and family well-being. Whether parents are in a committed relationship, separated, or navigating shared parenting from different households, professionals play an important role in helping them build respectful, collaborative parenting relationships.

This workshop equips family support professionals with practical strategies to engage both parents, strengthen communication, address common sources of parental conflict, and promote positive co-parenting that supports healthy child and family outcomes. Participants will also learn to recognize situations in which safety concerns or patterns of coercive or controlling behavior require a different approach to supporting families.

Learning Objectives

  1. Describe how healthy co-parenting contributes to positive child development, prenatal and child well-being, and family stability.
  2. Recognize the influence of family culture on co-parenting relationships and the importance of tailoring support to each family’s unique circumstances.
  3. Identify common sources of parental conflict that affect co-parenting relationships.
  4. Apply practical strategies to engage both parents, strengthen communication, and support collaborative co-parenting across diverse family structures.

Presented By

  • Steven Pascal

    Steven Pascal

    Director of Home Visiting

    Steven Pascal

    As the Director of Home Visiting, Steven leads the Healthy Families Massachusetts Implementation Team (HFMIT) who provide support and technical assistance to the statewide network of Healthy Families Massachusetts (HFM) programs serving first-time young parents. Aside from ensuring the evidence-based HFM programs are implemented with fidelity, he regularly collaborates with local non-profits, state agencies, and universities on private, state, and federally funded initiatives and program enhancements.

    Steven joined the Children’s Trust in 2007 as a HFM Program Specialist having previously worked in the areas of elementary and higher education, specialized foster care, juvenile justice, and workforce development.

    Steven holds a Bachelor of Political Science from Salem State University and a Master of Urban Affairs from Boston University. He is certified by the National Alliance of Children’s Trust & Prevention Funds to provide trainings on the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework.
  • Chris White

    Chris White

    Fatherhood Initiative Coordinator at the Children’s Trust

    Chris White

    Chris White is the Fatherhood Initiative Coordinator at the Children’s Trust, where he provides technical assistance, support, training, and management oversight of the Children’s Trust fatherhood programs across the state. He is dedicated to supporting families and the programs and professionals that work with fathers and families. In his previous roles as a Head Start preschool teacher and a Healthy Families Massachusetts Program Specialist, Chris has been able to continue his work with families and their shared mission to support healthy and happy early childhood development. Chris is also the proud father of two boys, ages 3 years and 18 months.

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