AAFSW’s FORUM held an elder care round table with 15 or so other federal agencies to talk about what was being done for elder care (employees’ parents). The answer was “nothing.” The FORUM made recommendations for an elder care policy in the Department of State. Submitted by AAFSW to Director General Edward Gnehm, this seminal document led to a thorough policy review. AAFSW President Mette Beecroft sat in the group during deliberations. The result was the Elder Care Travel Allowance – roundtrip airfare once per posting to visit parents. This proposal by AAFSW is a wonderful example of collaboration between a volunteer group and official personnel.
S021_001_1998_April_EC-and-CC_AAFSWWe were talking in terms, for example, of trying to convene a small conference on elder care, just to get all of the people in the Department who are interested in it together because you have DACOR; you have the Senior Living Foundation from AFSA; you have the Employee Service Center, which is sort of the mental health wing of MED; you have the AAFSW. There are a number of people around who are interested in this and who have some knowledge. So I think we may be convening a small conference on that, or maybe it’ll just be another session of the Forum.
Mette Beecroft (1998)[ADST interview][Speech audio recording] Transcript file from ADST.org, p. 31
Eldercare Forum – November 1998
S021_002_1998_Sept_EC_AAFSW
