Born in Ghana and raised in Montreal, Canada, Abdul-Rahman brings both personal and professional experience to his work in supporting families and communities.

He has been a social worker and coordinator of the BaoPapas fathers’ program at Baobab Familial, a Family Resource Center serving the Côte-des-Neiges community in Montreal, since June 2021.  He has taken on additional responsibilities as co-coordinator of the homework help program and being responsible for the leisure library since 2023. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism Management from the University of Moncton, a certificate of community intervention, and is also a licensed soccer coach, qualified at the Concacaf B License level.

He has accumulated extensive experience both as a soccer coach and educator, working with children, adolescents, and young adults at Dawson College, Cégep Saint-Laurent, CS Saint-Laurent, and CS Mont-Royal–Outremont. In addition, he has worked in program coordination and community intervention with organizations such as the YMCA, Maison des jeunes de Côte-des-Neiges, Collège Stanislas, and Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi.

For nearly 20 years, Melissa has been a dedicated leader in parent engagement and family support, driving meaningful change across sectors including child welfare, mental health, and juvenile justice. A recognized Parent Leadership Pioneer, she has contributed significantly to advancing child abuse prevention and strengthening systems by centering family voice. 

 

She currently serves as the Parent Engagement Coordinator Lead at Kansas Children’s Service League, where she supports a statewide team focused on developing parent leadership and building inclusive, family-centered systems.  She has co-developed and conducted impactful trainings for hundreds of staff and organizations that promote meaningful family engagement, parent leadership, and best practices in family support. 

 

Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Melissa now lives in Kansas and is the proud mother of two adult daughters.

Originally from South Africa and now residing in Scotland with his wife and two children, Doug has worked and lived cross-culturally for almost 25 years.  He has a degree in intercultural studies from All Nations Christian College in Hertfordshire, England.  He has taught and managed ESOL classes, been involved with emergency water provision, post-earthquake shelter projects, and supporting refugees and asylum seekers, from Afghanistan to Malta. 
 

He has worked with fathers for almost 6 years as the Dads Coordinator at Home-Start Glasgow South.  He runs a weekly group where the children and their fathers have time together to attach, bond, and form friendships.  He provides intensive one-to-one support for fathers who have young children, toddlers, or babies and face difficult scenarios in life, tailoring his support to what the Dad and the family need. 
 

He co-hosts a monthly Dads Antenatal Workshop, helping fathers-to-be to prepare for the birth of their children and to better support their partner, baby, and themselves.  He developed the Being Da' podcast as well, covering topics such as Mum’s recovery, Dad’s bonding struggles, infant mental health, and Dad’s hormonal changes.

He has researched fatherhood in the perinatal pathway, identifying barriers for fathers and best practices for medical staff and boards to help remove these barriers.  He uses that valuable information to train health visitors on how to better include fathers in their service. 

Julie's passion for this work grew out of her own experience as a parent seeking resources and opportunities at a Family Resource Center in New Hampshire.  She went on to serve in parent leadership roles at the local program, state, and national levels, including as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds.

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In her past role as the Strengthening Families Director at New Hampshire Children’s Trust, she trained over 1,200 professionals in Bringing the Protective Factors to Life in Your Work.  She also created the My Voice Matters training, a parent advocacy training offered throughout the state for more than 400 parents and community members. 

In addition to being an exepreinced trainer on parent leadership development, she is a Community Health Worker with Granite United Way New Hampshire and an active member of the Capital Area Food Access Coalition.

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She received her B.A in Human Services from Springfield College and her Master of Public Health degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

Born and raised in Waimānalo, Hawaii, Kapua brings deep roots and a strong sense of aloha to the work she does with families, school staff, and community partners.  She is a proud wife and mama of three keiki, which fuels her passion for supporting other families in ways that help children thrive.

 

 In her role as the ʻOhana (Fmaily) Resource Coordinator at Blanche Pope Elementary School and Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Waimānalo, she focuses on creating welcoming spaces, connecting families to resources, and organizing cultural and educational programs that celebrate the importance of ʻohana.  

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When she is not at school, you might find her hiking the trails of her hometown, crafting handmade projects, or baking treats to share.  Everything she does reflects her belief that strong families build strong communities, and she is excited to continue uplifting voices and nurturing connections.

For over 20 years, Cailin’s professional focus has been both on the promotion of healthy development, protective factors, and positive experiences – and the prevention of child maltreatment and other adverse experiences and outcomes.  She coordinated the Strengthening Families initiative at the Washington, DC-based Center for the Study of Social Policy for 10 years.  

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In that role, she spearheaded the development of materials to support implementation of the Strengthening Families approach in child and family-serving systems and coordinated the Strengthening Families National Network, convening leaders from 35 states and United States territories.  She also led Strengthening Families trainings all across the U.S., as well as in Hungary and the Republic of Moldova.  
 

She is now an independent consultant, supporting professionals, organizations, systems, and communities to promote better outcomes for young children and their families.  

She has family roots in Ireland and lived in Denmark for several years as a young adult working for the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe.  
 

She is a graduate of Macalester College in Minnesota, and holds a master's degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a graduate certificate in Prevention and Intervention Science.