I recently attended the 50th Anniversary Conference of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). AFCC was founded in 1963, and now consists of more than 4,600 members, representing 49 states and 27 countries worldwide. Members include judges, court employees, private practice lawyers, mental health and dispute resolution professionals, policy advocates, policymakers, researchers, community agencies, academics and students. The association’s work focuses on a wide range of topics of interest to a family law attorney such as mediation, custody evaluation, parent education, and parenting coordination. For the past 50 years, AFCC has been the leading interdisciplinary organization addressing the challenges of separation and divorce, and, in particular, the impact on children and families. I returned from this year’s annual conference in Los Angeles with a wealth of information.
For example, among other valuable AFCC Annual Conference Divorce Resources, I learned about an excellent, free online resource for divorcing parents of small children offered by the Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street. This particular resource (Little Children, Big Challenges: Divorce) is a tool-kit available online that includes songs and videos about divorce, and resource guides for parents, children and caregivers. It includes tips to help children understand and cope with the changes and stress they experience as a result of divorce and separation. There are printable activities for children to help them express their feelings, articulate their fears and concerns about divorce and separation, and gain reassurance that they will not lose the love and affection offered by both of their parents, notwithstanding a divorce or separation.
It is an excellent resource. I hope you find it helpful. It can be located online at: http://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/topicsandactivities/toolkits/divorce#3.