FARMINGTON -- Parents going through a divorce find one of the biggest challenges is dealing with the negative effect a separation has on the children.

For parents who want to learn how to put the needs of their children first while struggling with the legal and financial pressures of a dissolved marriage, a Portland-based organization is offering some direction.

The Kids First Center, based in Portland, is offering outreach programs in Farmington, Augusta, Skowhegan and Waterville in the central Maine area. The next workshop is Saturday in Farmington from 8:30 a.m.to 12:30 p.m. at Franklin Memorial Hospital.

Pre-registration is required and can be done through the Franklin County Children's Task Force at 111 Church St. in Farmington or by calling 778-6960. For more information about Kids First, go to www.kidsfirstcenter.org.

It is suggested both parents separately attend the workshops with the goal of both having the same information needed to "co-parent," said Claire Andrews, a Farmington attorney and one of the workshop presenters. Her co-presenter is mental health professional Gary Wright.

"During the workshops, we talk with parents about how to deal with their own anger, how to deal with their kids' anger and how to do conflict resolution," she said.

"It is really about changing an emotional relationship to a business relationship," she said.

One technique that could be used to avoid a verbal confrontation is to use e-mail to set up visitation schedules or decide things like who will attend parent-teacher conferences, Andrews said.

About 75 percent of Kids First workshop participants are ordered by a divorce judge or a case management officer to attend as part of the settlement agreement, Andrews said.

The parents may be unwilling participants at first, but from the evaluation comments, many say they got much out of it.

"They say they wish they had known about the class earlier," Andrews said. "Parents really want the skills to help their children through this difficult time and we try to give them the tools they need to do that."

The topics to be covered Saturday will include addressing the needs of children as marital and family roles change; children's reactions to separation and divorce; talking with children about divorce or other changes; and tips on how to make decisions about parenting.

There are also discussions on ways to deal with conflict without involving children and how to help kids adjust to differences between households.

Upcoming sessions in Skowhegan and Augusta will be Nov. 14. To register, call Kennebec Valley Community Action at 859-1514.

This year, the Kids First Center will connect to over 3,000 families in Maine, with over 1,200 people statewide having taken one of the programs, according to communication coordinator Mary Swan.

Participants are encouraged to attend the program as early in the separation and divorce as possible. Pre-registration is required and the workshop fee is $60 per person. Financial assistance is available for all programs based on need. No one has ever been refused service by the Kids First Center, Andrews said.