DEBORAH CASHEN, Certified Family Life Educator, founder and co-owner of Parenting Partnerships, Inc. has over 20 years of experience working with families in a variety of settings including schools, businesses, faith-based organizations and local and national conferences. She also works with divorcing families and those with continued custody/parenting time issues as a Family Mediator, Collaborative Law Allied Professional or Parenting Coordinator.

Before creating her own family Deborah worked as an accountant/ financial analyst, ending her business career as an Assistant Controller for a large corporation. This business background coupled with her ability to educate families benefited communities in Covington, LA, where she created a community Parenting Center and Bakersfield, CA, where she trained others in the concept of family-school partnerships. Deborah created and administered a school district sponsored Parent Resource Center. While earning her degree in Family Studies at Texas Woman’s University, she worked on the Program Committee of the Denton Family Resource Center. She has a B.S. in Family Studies and over 300 hours of additional training and continuing education pertaining to family law and family life education.

Deborah has written curriculum for Work-Life Programs, Childcare Programs, Family-School Partnerships, Parent and Co-parent Education Programs and is a published author of curriculum support Creating Parenting Notebooks, Morning Glory Press, for pregnant and parenting teens. She has provided staff development programs to preschools, elementary and middle schools. Deborah works with multiple companies to minimize downtime caused by family issues, by providing lunch and learn programs and specialized workshops or classes. She has been a guest speaker on many television and radio programs and is often asked to speak at local, state and national conferences on family education and/or work-life issues.

Deborah continues her education through the following organizations:

National Council on Family Relations, CFLE Advisory Board Member

• Texas Council on Family Relations, VP Publications
• Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
• Texas AFCC
• International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
• National Association for the Education of Young Children

SUSAN MARSH , Certified Family Life Educator and co-owner of Parenting Partnerships, Inc., is a native Texan with over 30 years experience working with schools and families. Susan graduated from Lamar University with a B.S. in Education. She has a Masters in Educational Psychology from the University of Houston. Susan holds professional Texas Education Agency Certification in the areas of Elementary and Special Education, Special Education Supervision and Mid-Management. Susan’s interest in working with parents and teachers began early in her teaching career with the publication of Changing the Behavior of Handicapped Children: A Teacher’s Guide for Working With Parents: A Teacher’s Guide for Working with Parents published by Teaching Resources in 1979.

Susan’s experience includes teaching general and special education, staff development, curriculum writing, program development, parent education and special education administration. She works with divorcing families and those with continuing custody/parenting time issue as a Family Mediator, Collaborative Law Allied Professional and Parenting Coordinator. Susan has made presentations to local, state, and national conferences in the areas of behavior management, instructional strategies, parent education and mental health programs. Susan participates as a Stephen Minister in her church. Susan has appeared as a guest on radio talk shows and presented to university and medical students.

Susan was instrumental in the development of the first school based mental health clinic in the Houston Area in 1996. This clinic, the Youth and Family Center, provides assessment, counseling, parent education, and early prevention programs to families in the West District of Houston ISD.

Susan continues her education through the following organizations:

• National Council on Family Relations
• Texas Council on Family Relations, VP Membership
• Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
• Texas AFCC
• International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
• National Association for the Education of Young Children

BRADLEY CRAIG , Licensed Social Worker and co-owner of Parenting Partnerships, Inc is a child of divorce. He is a noted co-parent educator in the North Texas area, and has developed a number of parent education programs for families raising children in two homes. He began specializing in working with families raising children between two homes in 1992 when he was hired by Tarrant County to conduct social study investigations and provide mediation sessions. He helped them design an orientation for litigating families offered by the county.

Brad left the County in 1997 to open up a program called Children in the Middle Co-parenting Services, Inc., a comprehensive agency designed to help adults raise children between two homes. In 1997, he developed the Children in the Middle Co-parenting Education class. In addition, he began offering consultation sessions where he would meet with couples and their significant others to develop a shared parenting plan. Children in the Middle Co-parenting Services, Inc. was closed in December of 2003 when Brad was hired to develop and maintain a co-parenting program with a social service organization. Brad was brought in to Parenting Partnerships in April of 2007.

Brad is a trained family law mediator and provides family law mediation training currently with other organizations. In addition, Mr. Craig offers training for other professionals to structure approaches to help these children being raised between two homes. He works with divorcing families and those with continuing custody/parenting time issue as a Family Mediator, Collaborative Law Allied Professional, Co-parenting Case Manager, Co-parenting Coach, Educator, and Parenting Coordinator.

Brad has written curriculum for co-parent education programs and has developed educational videos. He has been a guest speaker on many television and radio programs and is often asked to speak at local, state and national conferences on co-parenting issues. He hosted an ongoing cable television series "The Children in the Middle Show," aimed at educating viewers about both the effects of parental conflict after a separation on children and the services available to help families through co-parenting issues.

Brad continues his education through the following organizations:

• Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
• Texas AFCC
• National Association of Social Workers
• Collaborative Law Institute of Texas
• Tarrant and Dallas County Family Law Bar Associations
• The Collaborative Lawyers of Tarrant County

Deborah, Susan and Brad have a strong personal belief that children have the right to grow up in homes:

• where love is communicated unconditionally,
• where children feel safe and secure,
• where respect is clearly modeled,
• where children are taught the life skills they will need to navigate adult life,
• and most importantly, where children are allowed to develop feelings of self worth.

Our unique approach helps parents reduce everyday challenges that affect both professional and personal relationships. We teach life skills that provide hands-on tools parents need to help their children build character, develop responsibility, problem solve and become resourceful adults.