Please click the following link for the website version: http://afccnet.org/members/eNewsletter/2007dec_eNEWS.html
Seasons Greetings from AFCC
by Peter Salem, AFCC Executive Director
As the end of 2007 nears we can look back on another exciting and successful year for AFCC. Membership has eclipsed 3,300 and continues to grow every month. We experienced the first conference sell-out in AFCC history, with more than 900 attendees at the Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. And at our Fall Regional Conference in Columbus, Ohio, we were honored to be invited to join Chief Justice Thomas Moyer at the Supreme Court of Ohio. AFCC Chapters continue to thrive, and this year we have received letters of intent from AFCC colleagues in Louisiana and Ontario indicating that more new Chapters are on the way.As we celebrate our successes, we also reflect on the AFCC mission: To improve the lives of children and families through the resolution of family conflict. We are proud that AFCC members provide leadership in improving practices, processes and systems to support children and families. And we are grateful to all AFCC members for your contributions in support of this effort.Happy holidays, and best wishes for a healthy, happy and peaceful 2008.
AFCC 45th Annual Conference
Conference Program and Hotel Reservations Online
The conference program for AFCC's 45th Annual Conference, Fitting the Forum to the Family: Emerging Challenges for Family Courts, May 28-31, 2008 in Vancouver, BC is now available online. The program features 80 conference sessions, new three-hour advanced workshops, pre-conference institutes and four plenary sessions. Nearly 200 presenters, including Janet R. Johnston, Ph.D., Hayne Wai, M.A., Jennifer McIntosh, Ph.D., Peter G. Jaffe, Ph.D., Julie Macfarlane, Ph.D., LL.M., Woody Mosten, J.D., and Joan B. Kelly, Ph.D. will address the latest topics that impact children and families. The conference will take place at the Weston Bayshore, adjacent to 1,000 acre Stanley Park and a short walk to downtown Vancouver. Hotel rooms have sold out in recent years for annual conferences, so please make your reservations early. The conference program, online registration and hotel reservations can be accessed by clicking the link below. Make plans to join AFCC in Vancouver today!
Conference program and more information...
Photos of the Westin Bayshore...
Passport Reminder
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. 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...
AFCC Annual Appeal
Conference Scholarship Application Available in January
Thanks to the outstanding support of AFCC member donations, AFCC will establish an outreach program to support the initiatives of the Domestic Violence and Family Courts Project. Since 2001, AFCC's Resource Development Fund has granted nearly 70 professionals and graduate students a scholarship to attend an AFCC conference. AFCC is awarding a record breaking 25 scholarships to its 45th Annual Conference, May 28-31, 2008 in Vancouver, BC. A limited number of scholarships will be designated to Court Services professionals, international participants, AFCC chapter members, graduate students and professionals in the conference host community. Look for the scholarship application on the AFCC Web site in January. An update on funded projects from AFCC's Resource Development Fund, can be accessed by following the link below.
Resource Development Fund Update (PDF)...
Have you donated yet?
To date, 55 of AFCC's 3,300 members have contributed to this year's campaign. Our goal is to double this number by the end of the year! Your support will make it possible for AFCC to offer more scholarships in future years.
Donate online...
Ontario Chapter of AFCC Forging Forward
Join Ontario Colleagues at the University of Toronto in January
by Justice Emile R. Kruzick, Orangeville, ON
Planning for an Ontario Chapter of AFCC continues to be enthusiastic and vibrant following a meeting and discussions at AFCC's 44th Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. earlier this year. Two meetings have been held in Ontario since the conference with a third to be scheduled in January 2008 regarding the formation of the Chapter. The launch of the AFCC Ontario Chapter is now set for the evening of January 24, 2008 at the University of Toronto's Law School located in the heart of the City of Toronto.
Read more...
2008 Family Law Writing Competition
AFCC and Hofstra University School of Law are sponsoring the annual Family Law Writing Competition. The competition is run in cooperation with the editorial staff of Family Court Review, the academic and research journal of AFCC. The subject of entries may be within any area of family law. Topics which focus on international or interdisciplinary subjects of family law are especially encouraged. Articles should concentrate on a current legal issue and must have a strong foundation in legal research. Submissions must be received by March 14, 2008. For all the details on the 2008 Family Law Writing Competition, please click the link below.
More information (PDF)...
Alburquerque Selected for 2008 Child Custody Evaluation and Parent Education Conferences
Mark your calendar for AFCC's Eighth Symposium on Child Custody Evaluations, September 25-27, 2008 and AFCC's Eighth Congress on Parent Education and Access Programs, September 26-27, 2008. For the first time, AFCC will hold both conferences simultaneously. The conferences will take place at the Albuquerque Marriott, overlooking the magnificent Sandia Mountains. AFCC has secured the special room rate of $122 per night. Be on the look out for the Call for Presenters in the next issue of the AFCC eNEWS.
Alburquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau...
Advanced Issues in Parenting Coordination and Abuse and Alienation Trainings in Texas
Register today for two outstanding trainings in collaboration with AFCC's Texas Chapter this February in Dallas/Irving, Texas. Advanced Issues in Parenting Coordination: Functional Co-parenting for High Conflict Families will be presented by Matthew J. Sullivan, Ph.D., February 18-19, 2008 and The Battle Between Abuse and Alienation: Assessment, Diagnosis and Interventions will be presented by Leslie M. Drozd, Ph.D., February 20-21, 2008. Each training is eligible for 13 hours of continuing education for psychologists, LPCs, MFTs and Social Workers; approval of CLE credits is pending. The training brochure, hotel information and more is available by clicking the link below.
More information...
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Think Globally in Vancouver
"Where else can one attend so many workshops presented by internationally recognized experts on family court issues?" -Cherie Simmers, Bartow, Florida (AFCC's 44th Annual Conference)
AFCC's 45th Annual Conference, May 28-31, 2008 in Vancouver, BC, will convene 190 presenters from Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Conference participants regularly travel from more than twenty countries around the globe. Nowhere else will you be able to interact with such a wide range of international and interdisciplinary family court professionals all under one roof. Nearly 40% of the presenters are from abroad and 60% of the conference sessions feature a presenter from outside the United States. For more information on the presenters and each workshop, please view the conference program by clicking the link below.
View conference program (PDF)...
RESEARCH UPDATE
Single Mothers Limit Contact with Former In-laws
Courtesy of J.M. Craig Press, Inc.
When parents divorce, family support can be very important when a parent rears children by him/herself, and grandparents can play a vital role. This study examined the nature of relationships between single parents and their own parents and former in-laws.
Read more...
FEATURED ARTICLES
Communicating Collaboratively in Cyberspace: What Couples Counselors Can Teach Dispute Resolvers About Email
by David A. Hoffman, courtesy of Mediate.com
Mediators and Collaborative Practice (CP) professionals receive training in communication skills, but that training typically involves in-person communications. In a world where email is beginning to replace much of our face-to-face and telephonic communication, there is a need for training that addresses email communications. The purpose of this article is to begin to fill that void in training by examining some of the ways in which e-mail communication differs from other types of communication. In addition, the article will explore the lessons we can learn from mental health professionals about how to communicate more effectively using electronic media.
Read more...
For the Records: Restoring a Right to Adult Adoptees
by Madelyn Freundlich, courtesy of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
This publication, released in November for National Adoption Awareness month, represents the most comprehensive examination to date of one of the most controversial, emotional issues in the modern adoption world: whether adopted people, once they become adults, should have access to their original birth information. This report suggests that all states change their laws so that the answer is "yes."
Read more...
AFCC AWARD NOMINATIONS
AFCC is seeking nominees for the following awards to be presented at AFCC's 45th Annual Conference in Vancouver, BC, May 28-31, 2008.
John E. VanDuzer Distinguished Service Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions and/or achievements by members of AFCC.
Stanley Cohen Research Award: Recognizes outstanding research and/or research achievements in the field of family and divorce.
Irwin Cantor Innovative Program Award: Recognizes innovation in court-connected or court-related programs. Nominations for this award should be for programs, not individuals. The nomination deadline is March 15, 2008. For further information on award criteria and nominating instructions, please visit the "Awards Committee" page on the AFCC Web site by following the link below.
More information...
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
AFCC 45th Annual Conference
May 28-31, 2008
Westin Bayshore Resort
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Conference Program (PDF)
AFCC Trainings
Advanced Issues in Parenting Coordination: Functional Co-parenting for High Conflict Families
Matthew J. Sullivan, Ph.D.
February 18-19, 2008Wyndham DFW Airport NorthDallas/Irving, Texas
www.afccnet.org
The Battle Between Abuse and Alienation: Assessment, Diagnosis and Interventions
Leslie M. Drozd, Ph.D.
February 20-21, 2008Wyndham DFW Airport NorthDallas/Irving, Texas
www.afccnet.org
ABOUT AFCC eNEWS
AFCC eNEWS is a bi-monthly e-newsletter published by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). AFCC eNEWS provides professionals with time sensitive and up-to-date topics including case law updates, research innovations and international news.
AFCC eNEWS archive...
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