About KidsFirst!
Helping Separating and Divorcing Parents Put Their Kids First!
KidsFirst! is a live-saver for parents who are separating or divorced. KidsFirst! helps parents understand and work through legal and physical custody issues to protect their children from emotional harm.
Parents use KidsFirst! to create a fair custody agreement and comprehensive parenting plan to significantly lower tension, defuse anger, and resolve personal issues. Parent disagreements only serve to harm the children and create a cycle that can perpetuate to their own children. Click "Recommended" on the top menu to see what experts and parents say about KidsFirst! and read how they agree that when parents work together the children and parents win!
Co-parenting greatly improves the ability of parents to protect the child's emotional and physical health and increase the chances for a child to have a successful life. KidsFirst! parenting plans help families work through the details in ways that protect the child. When the child’s needs remain a priority throughout the separation, divorce, and the years to follow, everyone wins.
Child psychologists, family law court judges, mediators, and family law attorneys agree that children of divorce are adversely affected by parents who can't agree on how to co-parent after their marriage or partnership ends. Most parents love their children and want both parents to share an equal role in parenting their children.
Henry Koltys
Henry Koltys is the family law expert and parenting advisor who created KidsFirst! to protect children and guide parents. He is a father and retired family law mediator, attorney, and judge. The wisdom and guidance within KidsFirst! reflect his years of parenting experience and legal expertise. Based on his legal career and his own divorce and custody litigation, Judge Koltys understands how separation and divorce can affect children in negative and positive ways.
Judge Koltys says that, “Death, family separation, and moving are the three most stressful events in life, according to psychological research. So families who break up receive a triple blow since a family break-up is really a death, then they separate, and move away. Family members need to acknowledge this death and work through issues around grief, loss, responsibility, and guilt. Parents can use self-help such as reading or videos. Parents can also reserve quiet time to reflect and process. Parents can hire trained professionals in group or individual therapy."
KidsFirst! parenting advice helps parents avoid conflicts and be a great parent, preventing parent issues involve or impact the children. In addition to Judge Koltys, other parents and children of divorce continually improve content for both parents and children. Judge Koltys also consults leading family law judges, attorneys, mediators, psych professionals, and others who focus on child custody mediation, collaborative divorce, and conflict avoidance.
Judge Koltys is Chair and General Counsel of InCap Corporation, the company that created Catalyst, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) software tool used to create KidsFirst!. Since 1994, InCap has developed AI tools to create AI apps for consumers and businesses that enable non-experts to make decisions like an expert. He was trained as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for neglected and abused children.
Judge Koltys is Chair of the Global Knowledge Fund Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that supports the family law court system and families in transition. The Global Knowledge Fund Foundation will donate KidsFirst! to low-income parents and to select family law courts and legal clinics.
Dedication to Drew Koltys
I created KidsFirst! based upon my own custody fight over my son Drew, who was twelve years old at the start. I wanted to share legal and physical custody but Drew's mother refused and aggressively litigated in family law court for years. The judge said I was a good father and ruled in my favor, ordering joint legal and physical custody. By then the damage had already been done to Drew's emotional stability and to our relationship.
During this time Drew was diagnosed with depression based upon symptoms of severe fatigue and lack of concentration. His diagnosis was confirmed based upon a history of mental illness in his mother's family. His treatment included SSRI medications and psychotherapy. When Drew reached his mid-twenties he became less compliant with his treatment and began to withdraw from his family and friends.
Drew took his own life at age 27. I dedicate KidsFirst! in memory of Drew in the hope that parents will work together in a collaborative manner which is in the best interest of the child. Drew's website