COVID-19 - American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Statement from AAFCS

April 16, 2021 ~ Online registration opened for the 2021 AAFCS Virtual Conference. Despite the progress that has been made and the availability of the vaccine, AAFCS will continue to ensure that we make the health and safety of our members, partners, and staff a top priority.

April 15, 2021 ~ Volume 113, Issue 1 of the Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences contains a variety of excellent submissions for the “Reflections on Covid-19” section. Special thanks to contributing authors, Barbara L. Stewart, Juliana F. Stewart, Jay Kandiah, , Jagdish Khubchandani, Diana Saiki, Mary M. Warnock, Suzette Dragoo Barta, Gina Gould Peek, Rita W. Green, A.L. Dias De Vasconcelos, R.N. Pettigrew.

January 15, 2021~ Volume 112, Issue 4 of the Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences contains a variety of excellent submissions for the new “Reflections on Covid-19” section. Special thanks to contributing authors, Vanessa Prier Jackson, Jacqueline Holland, Carole Makela, Elizabeth Newcomb Hopfer, Sung-Jin Lee, Valerie Jarvis McMillan, Valerie L. Giddings, Patricia A. Ennis, Kelsey Baker, Carol L. Anderson, Rebecca Hagen Jokela and Lori Hendrickson.

October 16, 2020 ~ Lorna Saboe-Wounded Head, Jacqueline Holland, Nic Zimmerman, Kelli Enslow-Wolfe, and Mia Russell - members of AAFCS - are conducting a research project and need your help! If you are a college student, please consider participating in the "College Students and COVID-19: Examining Financial Well-being, College Persistence, and Happiness post-COVID" survey. Through this project, the researchers seek to understand college student life before COVID (before March) and now (since March). By participating, you can enter a random drawing for one of ten $25 Amazon gift cards. Please consider taking the survey and sharing with college students you know: https://collegecovid19.questionpro.com. The survey will close October 31^st.

October, 12, 2020 ~ Volume 112, Issue 3 of the Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences launches “Reflections on Covid-19”. Special thanks to authors Jessica M. Parks for her article – Flashdrives, Libraries, and Burger King: “Submitting assignments online” Amid COVID-19 and to Carol L. Anderson for her article – Whiplash! Volunteering at the Polls During the Pandemic.

July 24, 2020 ~ AAFCS continues to be committed to do our part to help slow the potential transmission of the coronavirus and protect our members from exposure. In keeping with our commitment to the health and wellness of our members, we have decided to transition the 2020 Fall Leadership Workshop to a virtual 2-day event, so that our members can stay home, stay safe and connect with other FCS professionals on Zoom for affiliate training, member sharing, and virtual networking.

May 29, 2020 ~ Do you have an idea for submission related to the pandemic? Review the special call for articles and send a paragraph describing your idea to Editor Scott Hall at sshall@bsu.edu ASAP! In this issue, AAFCS President Jackie Ogden, CFCS, CEO Carolyn Jackson, CFCS, and Editor Scott Hall, CFLE, present their thoughts on the pandemic and the FCS response. Watch for special features on the pandemic in upcoming issues.

May 20, 2020 ~ AAFCS Expands Relief Policy. By a unanimous vote on May 20, 2020, the AAFCS Board of Directors passed a Disaster and Pandemic Relief Policy that will provide a way for AAFCS members and certified professionals to keep their membership benefits and certified status intact in the event they have suffered a substantial loss of income due to a pandemic like the nation is facing with Covid-19. This policy is an update to the Major Disaster Relief Policy passed by the board in 2018, and can be read in its entirety here.

April 15, 2020 ~ Important Conference Update from AAFCS President Jackie Ogden, CFCS

The Coronavirus is affecting all of us, but family and consumer sciences professionals are truly standing strong.

We have continued to educate the public about skills that relate to everyday living as we encourage containment of the virus. Our spirit of resilience and passion for our work will continue despite any disruptions that come our way.

The AAFCS Board of Directors and staff have been working behind the scenes since the pandemic became our new reality to explore the right path forward for the 2020 Annual Conference and Expo. Together, we reviewed the results of our recent survey with your health and wellness our top priority. We have considered work and travel restrictions, the financial impact to our members, the temporary closure of the host hotel and furloughs to hotel staff, and our commitment to do the right thing.

Today, I am announcing that the AAFCS Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Annual Conference and Expo. As of now, we are sharing this need-to-know information that will answer some of your immediate questions:

The registration site for the Annual Conference is closed.
If you were registered, you will receive a notice that a full refund is being issued.
If you are a presenter, leader of one of our AAFCS communities, committees, units, or a related organization that was planning to host an event, you will receive an update from staff by April 24^th.
If you have received or applied for a 2020 award, grant, fellowship, or scholarship, you will receive an update by April 30^th.
We are exploring options to host components of the in-person event, virtually. We expect to announce any plans for a virtual event(s) in May.

We regret that the Coronavirus pandemic will keep us from gathering face-to-face in June for an engaging conference experience in Baltimore. As a Board, we just couldn't in good conscience support an event that might in any way jeopardize your/our health and well-being.

Just as there has been an increased appreciation for the content of family and consumer sciences through the governmental stay-at-home recommendations, we know you have an ongoing need for a professional organization that provides you the support and resources needed to thrive in these uncertain times. AAFCS pledges to be YOUR professional community in the ways that adapt to OUR new normal!

April 10, 2020 ~

Together, we are facing a truly unprecedented situation. The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to affect our families, our members and our association and our way of life.

Thanks to all who completed our recent survey about the 2020 AAFCS Annual Conference & Expo.

At this time, there continue to be a lot of factors at play in determining the future of our in-person conference in Baltimore.

While we don’t have a specific answer today, we will have an update to you soon.

April 2, 2020 ~ Wiley, publisher of the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal (FCSRJ), has issued a statement regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the printing and distribution of the FCSRJ to our member subscribers. Click here to read the statement.

April 2, 2020 ~ Special Message from AAFCS Board President, Jackie Ogden, CFCS

During the past weeks, the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted our lives, both personally and professionally. It has also impacted our work as family and consumer sciences professionals and FCS students throughout the nation.

Each day, the media outlets provide us with important updates. And now, it’s our turn. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we want to provide you with a quick update about the operations and resources of our association.

Your go-to source for updates on the Coronavirus can be found at the top of the AAFCS homepage at a afcs.org/home.
AAFCS has created an online community for members and non-members to share teaching tools, plans, ideas, and educational resources related to the role of family and consumer sciences in addressing the Coronavirus pandemic. It is easy to join and participate in the community. Information on how to join this special online community is on the COVID-19 section of our website. I invite you to join it to both access and share resources.
During this time of social distancing or sheltering in place, I encourage you to check out the AAFCS library of archived webinars for online professional development. The FCS program topics are diverse and are beneficial to both FCS professionals and students for online learning opportunities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our association at the Affiliate level. The 2020 AAFCS Board of Directors commends the dedication and decision-making efforts of affiliate leaders, who have been faced with difficult situations regarding conferences this spring. Each showed interest in the social and emotional health of members as a top priority. Your affiliate leaders have been considerate of implications for the recognition of awardees, continued offerings of professional development, and affiliate business continuity and financial accountability. Congratulations to each affiliate for meeting the challenges and opportunities.
Many of you are asking about the 2020 Annual AAFCS Conference & Expo planned for late June in Baltimore, Maryland. Rest assured, AAFCS staff is closely monitoring the rapidly changing situation of this pandemic and its implications for our conference. Here is what we know now:

Given the circumstances, we have extended our early-bird registration deadline to May 1 to allow more time for your decision-making and to still be able to take advantage of the discounted registration rate.
We want your voice to be heard and encourage you to take our short survey regarding the 2020 AAFCS Annual Conference & Expo. Thank you for taking a moment to provide your input by April 3, 3:00 pm EST. Your input will help our association make the necessary decisions about our conference. The survey is linked here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AAFCSconfsurvey.
AAFCS will provide our next update on the status of our conference on or before April 8th. In the meantime, please visit https://www.aafcs.org/covid19 for new information.
Should AAFCS cancel the 2020 Annual Conference & Expo, those registered will receive a full refund.

If you're like me, you probably feel like the world we live in is completely different from what it was even just a few weeks ago. Even with so many uncertainties, you can feel confident that your association is working diligently to continue our work on your behalf. Together, we can continue to “impact individuals, families and communities in the 21st Century."

March 20, 2020 ~ The well-being and safety of our members, families, partners and friends is our highest priority. Our hearts go out to everyone who’s been impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19). We know there is a lot of uncertainty and we want to provide insight into our plans as we navigate these uncharted times together. We are committed to keeping you informed about any impact to our services, programs and the conference as the news changes daily.

AAFCS hosted two conference calls this week with the leaders of our State Affiliates in an open forum. We commend our Affiliate leaders for managing the disruption to their spring conferences, in addition to the changes in their personal lives and ongoing professional obligations.

Here are the frequently asked questions that we have received as of March 20, 2020. We encourage you to review them for a better understanding of how you may be impacted in the days and weeks ahead.

Will there be any impact on member services?
In keeping with social distancing recommendations and out of an abundance of caution, AAFCS staff are working remotely during our normal business hours of 9:00 am – 5:30 pm.ET. It is possible that you may experience a delay in our staff response as we are experiencing a higher than normal volume of emails and calls. Product orders and mailed membership notices will be delayed as our mailing capacity internally and externally is reduced.

Where can I find the most recent information from AAFCS?
Your go-to place for the most up-to-date information and updates can be found on this page: https://www.aafcs.org/covid19. We encourage you to visit this page frequently.

What is the status of the 2020 AAFCS Annual Conference & Expo?
We continue to closely monitor the situation to ensure that we make the right decision. As of March 20, we are moving forward with plans for the 2020 AAFCS Annual Conference and EXPO, June 26-28 in Baltimore, Maryland. As noted on our website, the early bird registration deadline has been extended to May 1. Should the situation change, we will inform our members and post an update at https://www.aafcs.org/covid19.

Does AAFCS have an open forum where members can share helpful resources?
Many of our members and larger FCS community are adapting to remote learning environments and other challenges very quickly in response to COVID-19. AAFCS has created an open online community for members and non-members alike to have a forum to share plans, ideas, resources, etc. and start conversations about the challenges and opportunities this public health scenario provides. You can learn more here: https://www.aafcs.org/covid-fcscommunity.

How has my PRE-PAC testing been impacted by COVID-19?
AAFCS is aware that school closures and the transition to alternative methods of instruction may impact Pre-PAC testing for the 2019 – 2020 testing year. Please note that the testing window is flexible and is determined by the individual test site. Purchased exams are available for administration through June 30. Our policy provides that Pre-PAC test sites may carry over any unused, unassigned exams to the 2020 – 2021 testing year. If students have been registered and assigned to an exam but the test site is unable to administer the exam, the test site administrator/coordinator should contact AAFCS Pre-PAC and request that the registrations be disabled. For additional information or assistance, please reach out to us at pre-pac@aafcs.org or call 703-636-7641.

Have the upcoming AAFCS webinars been cancelled?
The AAFCS webinars will continue as scheduled and are an excellent source of professional development especially in times of social distancing recommendations. AAFCS members may also want to take full advantage of a library of archived webinars on a variety of topics.

We will continue to heed the advice of the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and other health experts as we carefully consider our options to help ensure the well-being of our association and members.

March 16, 2020 ~ In light of the most recent developments and our ongoing concerns for the safety of the AAFCS staff, all staff will be working remotely until further notice. We remain committed to servicing our members and appreciate your patience as we experience a higher volume of emails and phone calls.

March 12, 2020 ~ The health, wellness and safety of our members, partners, staff and communities is always a top priority for the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). As a result, we continue to closely monitor the current situation of the coronavirus from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In response to questions we have received, we are moving forward with plans for the 2020 AAFCS Annual Conference and EXPO, June 26-28 in Baltimore, Maryland. Should the situation change and the plans for the conference are modified, we will inform our members and post an update on this page.

Our immediate attention is on the Affiliate Conferences, many of which are happening now or soon. Given the public health situation and related precautions suggested by officials, we encourage conference planners to review their contracts and discuss a contingency plan with the hotel as soon as possible. Also, check with your insurance provider about coverage that would impact your conference.

Public health officials are encouraging everyone to monitor and adhere to local and state guidance on travel. Visit the state government’s website for the latest coronavirus information, resources, and guidance.

Our public health agencies are committed to keeping the public informed on preventative measures. The virus is believed to spread like the flu when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Learn more from the CDC about preventative measures for coronavirus 2019 here:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html

We are committed to continuous monitoring and will update our coronavirus statement as appropriate.