After wrapping up this year’s 2026 Pennsylvania Strengthening Families Conference (it was wonderful to connect with so many of you!), the Family Support Team at Center for Schools and Communities invites you to continue the learning with us.
In this issue, our feature article explores the importance of healthy coparenting relationships, the role they play in supporting children and families, and how they can be understood through the Strengthening Families™ Protective Factors Framework.
As always, we are grateful to be part of a statewide community committed to strengthening families through connection, support, and shared learning. We hope you find something meaningful to carry into your work from this issue.
Be well, The Family Support Team at Center for Schools and Communities
Supporting Coparenting Relationships
Nurturing relationships with adults are key positive childhood experiences that support child development and positive long-term health outcomes. In many families, multiple caregivers work together to raise children. Family make-up can change over time due to a variety of factors such as divorce, multigenerational living situations, and the creation of blended families. When adults work together to create strong, healthy environments for children to learn, play, and grow, families are strengthened.
Family support programs can encourage the development of strong coparenting relationships by engaging all caregivers in a child’s life when possible and providing resources for parents as they navigate new coparenting situations. While many of the resources available about coparenting focus on how parents work together to continue to raise children after a separation, the concepts of open communication, keeping the child’s best interest at the center of decision-making, processing and managing emotions, and creating parenting plans can benefit families in a wide range of caregiving situations.
Programs can use the Strengthening Families™ Protective Factors Framework as a lens to consider supports that may be beneficial in coparenting situations.
Parental Resilience: Coparenting can be stressful. Talk with parents about how they cope with stress through self-care and accessing support. Parents that are separated may need to consider how to create boundaries to support a healthy coparenting relationship.
Social Connections: Guide parents to identify relationships in their lives that can support them on their coparenting journey. Create spaces where coparenting strategies are discussed in strength-based ways.
Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development: Provide trusted, evidence-based resources for caregivers navigating coparenting. Share information about how they can buffer their children from stress that may come with transitions. Discuss how all caregivers can establish shared parenting strategies that support their child’s healthy development.
ConcreteSupport: Listen to families and work with them to identify needs. Remind parents that asking for help is ok and important. Refer families to resources such as counseling, mediation and legal support as needed.
Social and Emotional Competence of Children: Children learn communication and social skills through their interactions with their caregivers as well as by observing the interactions of adults. Provide opportunities for parents to practice effective communication skills. Encourage parents to reflect on their emotions and express them in healthy ways.
Coparenting Resources
Although these resources are tailored to specific audiences, the information and strategies may be applicable in a variety of coparenting scenarios.
Family Support and Early Intervention: Crossover, Connection, and Collaboration Among the Systems
Tuesday, June 30 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Children who are identified for Early Intervention (EI) services may first come to the attention of EI programs through other systems. Family Support professionals such as home visitors who conduct developmental screenings are among those who work with families to make referrals for EI services. This presentation will provide information about the EI system and connections among EI providers and other family support and health care providers. Participants will discuss their roles and responsibilities for cooperative work among systems providers and gain an understanding of the advocacy efforts taking place to increase access to EI services.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This is a great time for parents to explore self-care strategies. Parenting can often be stressful and overwhelming at times. Parents can practice self-care for their own well-being, and it also helps them stay focused and be present for their children.
Here are some self-care tips to refill your cup:
Take time for yourself - Take a walk, practice deep breathing, or enjoy a quiet moment.
Ask for help - Talk to a friend, family member or your home visitor if you are struggling.
Give yourself grace - No one is perfect, so offer yourself grace when practicing self-care.
Check out the PAT curriculum for parent handouts on coping with stress and mental health:
Baby Blues? Or Something More? (Family Well-Being-Mental Health and Wellness)
Coping With Stress (Family Well-Being-Mental Health and Wellness)
Family Support for Parental Depression (Family Well-Being-Mental Health and Wellness)
KEYSTONE SCHOLARS jumpstarts educational savings by providing a $100 scholarship account for every child born to a Pennsylvania family on or after January 1, 2019.
Keystone Scholars sets the expectation at birth for every child in Pennsylvania to pursue some form of post-high school education, including community college, technical training, and apprenticeships, and it encourages families to start saving on their own early in the child’s life.
Parents can claim their child’s account at pa529.com/keystone. Only three pieces of information are needed:
Child’s date of birth.
State File Number from child’s Pennsylvania birth certificate.
Zip code used to file for child’s birth certificate.
Once claimed, parents may open a companion PA 529 account to start their own savings! Link the PA 529 and Keystone Scholars accounts together to watch the savings grow!
