Alexandria, Va. – September 25, 2018 – By electronic vote, the AAFCS Board of Directors passed a disaster relief policy that will provide support to AAFCS members and certified professionals who have been greatly impacted by disasters. The policy states:
There are times when AAFCS members and AAFCS-certified professionals may need relief from their annual dues and/or certification maintenance fees due to impacts from a major disaster categorized as a federal state of emergency declared by the President of the United States, such as a hurricane, severe flooding, or fire, which may greatly impact their finances and ability to practice. The AAFCS Board of Directors recognizes that these challenges can arise and has established a disaster relief policy to help these individuals maintain their membership and certification status.
In the event an AAFCS member or AAFCS-certified professional is unable to practice or sustains severe damage to their residence due to a disaster, the member or certified professional may petition AAFCS to have his or her dues or certification fees waived for one year by completing the Dues/Certification Maintenance Fee Hardship Waiver Request Form with a brief description of the nature of their hardship. Completed forms will be submitted to membership@aafcs.org. Decisions regarding waivers for disasters will be reviewed and approved by AAFCS staff and reported to the AAFCS Board of Directors. If approved, the member or certified professional will maintain his or her active status during that year.
About the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS)
Based in the Washington, D.C., area, AAFCS is the only association for family and consumer sciences students and professionals across multiple practice settings and content areas. For more than 100 years, AAFCS has focused its mission on providing leadership and support for professionals whose work assists individuals, families, and communities in making more informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life. AAFCS members provide research-based knowledge about the topics of everyday life to help create healthy and sustainable families. These topics include human development, personal and family finance, housing and interior design, food science, nutrition and wellness, textiles and apparel, and consumer issues. AAFCS members are located nationwide, and include educators, administrators and managers, human service and business professionals, researchers, community volunteers, and consultants who develop research-based information and deliver programs on essential skills to help individuals and families be better prepared to live, work, and succeed in today’s complex and diverse world.
Field of Family & Consumer Sciences
Family and consumer sciences (FCS) draws from broad and diverse disciplines to develop and provide content and programs that help individuals become more effective critical thinkers and problem solvers. Through discovery and delivery of research-based knowledge, FCS professionals help individuals and families develop essential skills to successfully live and work in a complex world. Professionals in the field are uniquely qualified to speak on many critical issues affecting individuals and families, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, wisely managing personal and family finances, and creating supportive relationships with family members, friends, and co-workers. They are located nationwide in a variety of practice settings, including secondary schools, universities, government agencies, and businesses.
For more information, please contact:
Gwynn Mason
Sr. Director, Communications & Marketing, AAFCS
703-706-4613
gmason@aafcs.org
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