AFCC eNEWS - August 2007

Please click the following link for the website version: http://afccnet.org/members/eNewsletter/2007aug_eNEWS.html

Columbus Early Bird Registration and Hotel Deadline September 4
AFCC and NCJFCJ Regional Training Conference
Columbus conference registration and hotel rates will increase after September 4, 2007. Register now and take advantage of the lowest rates offered for the AFCC and NCJFCJ Regional Training Conference, Applications for High Conflict Families, Domestic Violence and Alienation, September 27-29, 2007 in Columbus, Ohio. The Hyatt Regency Columbus special room rate of $131 will increase to $159 after September 4, 2007, if rooms are still available. Conference participants can look forward to many networking opportunities, including a private reception hosted by the Supreme Court of Ohio on Friday evening. The program brochure, online registration, online hotel reservations and more can be found by clicking the link below.
More information...

Introducing Parenting Coordination to Unified Family Court Cases
by Hon. Sandy Karlan and Linda Fieldstone, M.Ed., 11th Judicial Circuit, Miami-Dade County, Florida
Two parents were involved in a high conflict custody case, mediation was unsuccessful, they each went through multiple attorneys and the judge designated a parenting coordinator to concentrate on the non-legal child-related issues of the case. This typical scenario is replicated in jurisdictions across the United States and Canada with great success-the parents' collaboration improves and they begin to concentrate more on their children than their litigation process.
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45th Annual Conference Call for Presenters
The Call for Presenters for AFCC's 45th Annual Conference, Fitting the Forum to the Family: Emerging Challenges for Family Courts, May 28-31, 2008 in Vancouver, BC, Canada is available online. If you are interested in participating as a presenter, please submit a proposal before October 5, 2007. The conference will take place at the Westin Bayshore resort, nestled on the coast and steps from downtown Vancouver.
View Call for Presenters (PDF)...

Passport Reminder for Vancouver
All U.S. citizens traveling to and from Canada are now required to have a valid passport. If you are considering attending the conference, please plan ahead as passports can take up to six months to be processed. Information on applying for or renewing passports can be found at the U.S. Department of State Web site by clicking the link below.
More information...

Parenting Coordination and Alienation Trainings at the University of Baltimore in December
Mark your calendars for two outstanding training programs in December at the University of Baltimore Student Business Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Joan B. Kelly, Ph.D., will present Parenting Coordination: Helping High Conflict Parents Resolve Disputes, December 3-4, 2007 and Leslie M. Drozd, Ph.D. will present The Battle Between Abuse and Alienation: Assessment, Diagnosis and Interventions, December 5-6, 2007. The training brochure, including registration and hotel information, will be available on the Training page of the AFCC Web site soon.
More information...

AFCC Cosponsors NITA Program in Boston
AFCC Members Receive 5% Registration Discount
The National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) is hosting, Modern Divorce Advocacy: In Parenting, Custody, and Business Valuation Disputes, October 25-27, 2007 at Suffolk University Law School in Boston, MA. The training program is in collaboration with AFCC and Suffolk University Law School. Please click the link below for the program brochure.
View program brochure (PDF)...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Drops from Down Under
by Hon. Graham Mullane, New South Wales, Australia
This issue of Drops from Down Under features recent changes for family dispute resolution practitioners introduced by the Shared Parenting Act. Additional topics include recommendations of the Victorian Law Reform Commission's final report on Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Adoption, and anti-discrimination laws with Australia's first gay couple to adopt a child.
Read more...

RESEARCH UPDATE
Adults Are Not Good at Determining When Children Lie
Courtesy of J.M. Craig Press, Inc.
Unless children tell obvious lies, we are inclined to believe them. This may be especially true when the stakes are high, such as in cases of child sexual abuse allegations and other forms of abuse. Performing child custody evaluations requires interviewing a large number of people in addition to the parties and their children. A custody evaluator may be in the position of having to determine if a child is lying or not, and how well collaterals may be able to discern the truth of a child's report. This article addresses the question of just how good adults are at determining the veracity of children's reports.
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CASE LAW UPDATE
Florida Expands Rights of Unmarried Biological Fathers
by Barbara Glesner Fines, Ruby M. Hulen Professor of Law, University of Missouri-Kansas City
The Florida Supreme Court has held that an unmarried father's parental rights may not be terminated based solely on failure to register in the putative father registry. Rather, the adoption agency must serve the potential father with notice of the registry and his rights may be terminated only if he fails to comply with the requirements of that subsection within the thirty-day period. The court noted that registration alone is insufficient to prevent termination of parental rights of unmarried fathers. Heart of Adoptions v. J.A., Florida Supreme Court (July 12, 2007). View opinion (PDF)...
For more daily case law and other legal developments, visit the Family Law Prof Blog.

FEATURED ARTICLE
The Octave Of Primary Emotions
by Charles B. Parselle, courtesy of Mediate.com
Emotion is not something to be concerned about. Indeed, in this sense of the word, concern is itself an emotion; it is a low intensity expression of fear. Mediators are sometimes taught that emotion is preferably avoided in mediation, or at best to be 'handled' prior to getting to the job at hand; in this respect, mediation has come to mirror the legal system, which goes to considerable lengths to keep emotional expression out of court rooms and law offices. Many of the popular books on the subject barely discuss the emotions at all; instead, they focus on methods to 'deal with' emotions should they intrude.
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NEWS FROM COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS
National Quality Improvement Center on Non-Resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System (QIC NRF)
Courtesy of ABA Center on Children and Family Law
The QIC NRF is a new collaborative project between the American Humane Association, the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, and National Fatherhood Initiative and is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau. The focus of this project is a result of the federal Child and Family Services Reviews and the federally funded "What About the Dads?" report, which indicated that there is little meaningful engagement occurring between the child welfare system and fathers. The QIC NRF promotes the importance of gaining more knowledge regarding the engagement of non-resident fathers and their children who are involved in the child welfare system.
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Save the Date! Conflict Resolution Day
Courtesy of Association for Conflict Resolution
Conflict Resolution Day is an international celebration held annually on the third Thursday in October. The date for Conflict Resolution Day 2007 is October 18. Join in and promote conflict resolution in your community!
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Words Work: Helping Kids Communicate Effectively
Courtesy of ABA Section of Dispute Resolution
Words Work was created by the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution to teach youth leadership, relationship, and communication skills. With these skills, youth will have the tools to become leaders and productive citizens of the future. The premise of the program is that the communication skills associated with conflict resolution processes such as mediation and facilitation are necessary life skills, not simply skills to call upon when conflict emerges.
Read more...

NEW! Featured Links and Media
AFCC receives many outstanding e-newsletters from around the world. This section provides you with links to articles, video and/or other interactive media that we find interesting.

NPR: Gay Marriage Laws Interactive Map
From link below, click on a state to learn about legislation or court cases on gay marriage that are on the books or in the works.
View Gay Marriage Laws Interactive Map...

The Annie E. Casey Foundation: KIDS COUNT Data Book
In July 2007, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released its 18th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book, a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the U.S.
KIDS COUNT Data Book...
Children in single-parent families, by State...
Children in single parent families by, Race...

Youth Today's Grants E-Blast
Youth Today sends a weekly email highlighting grants offered by organizations that support children and families. Grant topics include education, juvenile justice, parenting, substance abuse, youth development and more.
View grants (PDF)...

Good Morning America: Robin Roberts Covering Virtual Visitation
Click here to watch video...

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