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As this issue of NCFR Report was coming together in early March, the United States was only just beginning to take stock as to how the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) would come to effect everyday life. The World Health Organization had only just classified the outbreak as a pandemic, and colleges and universities had started closing down their campuses. The authors of articles you’ll read throughout this edition—most of whom are employed in higher education—were only starting to assess how they could move from face-to-face instruction to teaching their classes entirely from their homes using the internet and technology.

Without the aid of a crystal ball, I cannot comment on the current reality or “new normal” that exists as you are reading these words. This issue won’t appear in readers’ hands until late June or early July 2020.

What I am happy to share with you is the great early steps that NCFR staff and board of directors were able to take at the outset of this global phenomenon to keep family researchers and practitioners connected to one another and to the very best resources. I am proud of the quick actions staff and board members took while we were all learning how to work from home indefinitely and what new terms such as social distancing and sheltering in place meant.

The 2020 NCFR Annual Conference Call for Proposals had ended on March 2, when NCFR began sharing information on COVID-19 through its website and social media accounts, starting with a New York Times parenting article, “How to Talk to Kids About Coronavirus,” featuring NCFR member Abi Gewirtz, Ph.D. From there we set about compiling existing resources from NCFR publications and other trusted sources, on everything from general health and wellness, to moving classrooms online, and even how to work from home with kids.

As you acclimate to new ways of serving families, NCFR will continue to provide you with resources, information, and support.

We also began to create our own new educational materials, kicking off with two free webcasts by NCFR webinar coordinator Claire Kimberly, Ph.D., CFLE: “Recommendations for Online Teaching in Higher Education” and “Tips and Tools for Online Presentations.” These webcasts are open to all and can be found with all of our on-demand webinars at ncfr.org/past-webinars. By now, there will be other great materials available on our website to help you through these unprecedented times. I invite you to peruse all the products and services we’ve made for you, which will be listed at ncfr.org/covid19-response.

At the current moment, NCFR is proceeding as planned with preparations for the 2020 NCFR Annual Conference, scheduled for Nov. 11–13. We had already made the decision to switch two in-person meetings—our spring conference-planning committee sessions and our June board meeting—to virtual ones. Future plans will be adjusted as necessary to ensure the health and well-being of our members and conference attendees. For the latest updates, please visit ncfr.org/conference.

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the lives of families and individuals throughout the world, and it will continue to have ramifications on how NCFR and your own places of work operate going forward. As you acclimate to new ways of serving families, NCFR will continue to provide you with resources, information, and support. I am especially grateful for the dedication of our many members for adapting, adjusting, and innovating during such an unprecedented time of change. I am glad to be in your company.