AFCC-AAML 2013 Conference MONTHLY E- Advanced Issues in Child Custody: NEWSLETTER Evaluation, Litigation and Settlement VOL. 8 NO. 6 September 26-28, 2013 JUNE 2013 Priority registration is available to AFCC and AAML members through June 30 for the 2013 Conference, which will be held at the Thank You to the AFCC 50th Gaylord National Resort on the Potomac, National Harbor, Maryland, Anniversary Conference Platinum Sponsors in the Washington, DC Metro Area. Registration will open to the public July 1. The last AFCC-AAML Conference, held in 2011, sold out. Register early, enrollment is limited. Conference brochure, registration, hotel, exhibits 50th Annual Conference Wrap-Up The AFCC 50th Anniversary Conference, Riding the Wave of the Future: Global Voices, Expanding Choices, May 29-June 1, at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, was a great success. Over 1,100 family law professionals from 20 countries attended; 363 of those in attendance hailed from California; followed in number by the 117 attendees from Ontario, who must be looking forward to next year’s annual conference in Toronto! Upcoming Conferences Thursday morning's Opening Session set the tone for an exciting and animated conference. Jim Steyer, founder of Common Sense Media gave a dynamic presentation on the cognitive impact of media and technology on children. Common Sense Media suggested AFCC members and conference attendees might be particularly interested in the Advice and Educator sections of the Common Sense Media Website. Lynn Chwatsky, Vice President of Educational Outreach for Sesame Workshop spoke about working with AFCC on the new initiative Little Children Big Challenges: Divorce and Muppet Abby Cadabby wished AFCC a happy 50th birthday. Conference Materials AFCC members have free access to audio recordings of conference AFCC–AAML Conference Advanced Issues in Child plenary sessions including the Opening Session; Plenary I, The Custody: Evaluation, Litigation Family Court of the Future, and Plenary II, Shared Parenting: The and Settlement Next 50 Years, in the Member Center on the AFCC website. Audio September 26–28, 2013 recordings of conference sessions are available for purchase either Gaylord National Resort as a discounted package or individually through Digital Conference Washington, DC Metro Area More information Providers, Inc. AFCC has a limited number of USB drives containing conference session handouts available. To purchase, please call the AFCC Regional Training AFCC office at (608) 664-3750 or email Shawn Werner. The cost for Conference a USB drive is $20 for members and $40 for non-members; no fee There's No Place Like Two for standard shipping. Homes: The Complexities of Separation, Divorce and Co- parenting Continuing Education Reminder November 7–9, 2013 If you signed up to receive a certificate of attendance, but did not The Westin Crown Center turn in a Verification of Session Attendance Form before leaving the Kansas City, Missouri conference, please return your completed form via email, fax or mail More information to the AFCC office. This form must be received for a certificate of AFCC 51st Annual Conference attendance to be issued. There is also a processing fee of $15 for May 28-31, 2014 AFCC members and $20 for non-members. The Westin Harbour Castle Toronto, Ontario, Canada AFCC 11th Symposium on Child Custody Evaluations November 6-8, 2014 Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort San Antonio, Texas AFCC 52nd Annual Conference May 27-30, 2015 Hilton New Orleans Riverside New Orleans, Louisiana Successful Silent Auction AFCC Chapter Annual The AFCC 15th Annual Silent Auction raised a record amount—well Conferences over $15,000—for special projects and initiatives. This success was made possible by the generous donors, bidders, and the wonderful Ontario Chapter Annual team of volunteers. Enjoy your winnings and thank you for your Conference generosity! One item of particular note, a surfboard customized with Our Families' Faces the AFCC 50th Anniversary Conference theme, is pictured with October 18, 2013 Toronto Public Library donor, Larry Swall. Toronto, Ontario Read more More information Awards Luncheon Massachusetts Chapter Annual Conference Leslie Drozd, Patrick Parkinson and Judy Cashmore, the Harriett March 28, 2014 Buhai Center for Family Law, Major Evan R. Seamone, and Bernie Regis College Mayer were honored for their accomplishments at the AFCC Annual Weston, Massachusetts Awards Luncheon, Friday, May 31. Six AFCC Ambassador Awards were presented to Linda Hahn, Andrew Schepard, Leslie Ellen Join AFCC Are you a member? Shear, Arnie Shienvold, Susan Snow, and Philip Stahl. Join or Renew Read more See photos from the Awards Luncheon AFCC offers member benefits that promote excellence in Giving Thanks Where Thanks are Due practice. This conference would not have been the incredible success it was View member benefits without the help of many extraordinary people and organizations. AFCC Chapters Thank you to the California Chapter of AFCC, Chapter President Network and share your Thomas Trent Lewis and the Chapter Board of Directors; with special interdisciplinary view of family thanks to Mike Kretzmer, who was instrumental in garnering support court matters on a local level. from Los Angeles area sponsors. Thank you again to our conference There are currently chapters in sponsors, collaborating organizations, conference committee, the following states and provinces: conference shepherds, exhibitors, advertisers, and of course everyone who attended. Thank you, as well, to all AFCC members; Australia the past 50 years would not have been possible without you. Here’s Alberta to 50 more! Arizona California Colorado Online or In Person, Information-Based or Skills Based, Connecticut Emerging Trends in Parent Education for Florida Divorcing/Separating Families: What Works? Illinois By Don Gordon, PhD, and Lisa Horwitch, PhD, Center for Divorce Indiana Louisiana Education, Ashland, Oregon Massachusetts In the vast majority of courts across the United States there exists Minnesota some form of policy for mandating a parent education course for Missouri parents who wish to dissolve their marriage and even for those New Jersey never-married parents who wish to separate, yet remain involved New York Ontario and co-parent their child(ren). One common theme, found among all Texas of these policies, is the agreement that educating parents about the Washington harmful effects that divorce and separation have on children is an Wisconsin important step as parents make these decisions. Providing Add an AFCC Chapter to your something that parents can use as a resource to improve their own membership behavior is also a goal, but is one that more often than not falls short. Ask the Experts The reason? The most prevalent approach employed for Is there a topic you would like to disseminating the numerous topics mandated for such classes is see covered by an AFCC Ask the inadequate for actually changing the behavior of these adults who Experts piece? Email your suggestion are in the midst of family transition and often in conflict. Read more About AFCC eNEWS Readers are welcome to forward Coming Soon in Family Court Review this e-newsletter to interested The July issue of Family Court Review is a special issue, Reports colleagues. All opinions expressed are those of the author from the National Leadership Summit on School-Justice and do not necessarily reflect Partnerships: Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court, guest edited those of AFCC. by: Hon. Judith S. Kaye. This is the first collaboration between educators and juvenile justice on the issue, with some of the Editor: foremost experts contributing. Be sure to keep your membership up- Erin Sommerfeld [email protected] to-date; you won’t want to miss these excellent upcoming issues: October 2013, Special Issue—Global Family Law January 2014, Special Issue—World Congress April 2014, Special Issue—Child Custody Think Tank Like on Facebook July 2014, Special Issue—Military Families Follow on Twitter Member News Leslie M. Drozd, Newport Beach, California, Nancy W. Olesen, San Connect on LinkedIn Rafael, California, and Michael A. Saini, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Unsubscribe have written a new book, Parenting Plan & Child Custody Evaluations: Using Decision Trees to Increase Evaluator Competence & Avoid Preventable Errors (Professional Resource Press). The content demonstrates to evaluators how to develop systematic ways to improve the processes they use to create and test hypotheses, collect information, organize the information they have, and analyze the data in a transparent and comprehensive way. Judge Dianna Gould-Saltman, Los Angeles, California, was honored by the Pasadena Bar Association Family Law Section as its 2013 Family Law Judge of the Year at an event held on June 6th in Pasadena, California. Andrew Schepard, Hempstead, New York, was recently appointed the Max Schmertz Distinguished Professor of Law at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. Professor Schepard is editor of Family Court Review, and director of the Center for Children, Families and the Law. Michael Saini, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has been appointed to the endowed Factor-Inwentash Chair in Law and Social Work. As part of this new appointment, he will engage in scholarship on issues at the intersection of social work and law, and provide education to students and community practitioners on social work and law. Read more. Board of Directors AFCC is pleased to welcome new Board members Jacqueline Hagerott, Robert Simon and Lesley Goldsmith for terms beginning July 1, 2013. Thanks to outgoing Board members Dianna Gould-Saltman, Graham Mullane and Robin Deutsch who have completed their service. Very special thanks to Arnie Shienvold for his leadership and commitment while serving as AFCC President. The AFCC Executive Committee, effective July 1, 2013, is: President: Nancy Ver Steegh, JD, St. Paul, Minnesota; President Elect: Magistrate Richard Altman; Napoleon, Ohio; Vice President: Hon. Peter Boshier, Wellington, New Zealand; Secretary: Marsha Kline Pruett, PhD, MSL, Northampton, Massachusetts; and Treasurer: Annette Burns, JD, Phoenix, Arizona.