I am so grateful to be part of this resilient, compassionate, and creative community. The last time I wrote this message, two months ago, it seemed the whole world was in chaos. There are still many difficulties, uncertainties, and challenges ahead. But what I have seen in this community in the past two months is a real coming together. People are reaching out to share skills and strategize, offer encouragement and support, and reinvent our practices and our traditions to meet the demands of a new situation. We know that in the coming months, families are going to need us more than ever. Already, many of our members report they are hearing from more and more families who need their help. Many of us have had to make difficult decisions and face problems we haven’t faced before in both our personal and our professional lives, and we know the families we serve are experiencing the same stressors. For the sake of these families and their children, I am glad that our Collaborative community is there to help them find peaceful resolutions, even as the courts have closed their doors. This week, I met with our Board of Directors for our spring meeting, as we turn our thoughts to the coming months. Our plan is for the Collaborative community to emerge from this crisis stronger than ever, with new tools and skills to help families, and with a strengthened network of support for each other. IACP is here to support our members, so please let us know if there is anything we can to do help you as we all move forward together. Be well, Anne Tamar-Mattis IACP, Executive Director |