By Jocelyn Guyer
Dear Friends –
As some of you know, I recently decided to take a position as a Director in the Washington, D.C. office of Manatt Health Solutions. In my new role, I’ll be working with states, Exchanges and other Manatt clients on implementing the ACA. As you can imagine, I’d only leave CCF for a unique opportunity and this position was it – a chance to jump in and work directly on the nuts and bolts of implementation during this critical period in the future of health policy.
Even so, to say that I’m sad about leaving CCF and the wonderful community of advocates with whom I’ve had the opportunity to work over the past eight years doesn’t even begin to express my feelings. It truly has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with CCF and its partners over the years. While I can’t name individual names without sounding like I’m giving an overly long Oscar acceptance speech, by “partners” I mean those of you in the states that are on the frontlines of improving health coverage in the country. Those of you in national organizations with whom CCF teamed up with on CHIP reauthorization, passage of the Affordable Care Act, and, more recently, the often-thankless task of untangling the regulations that govern ACA implement. The state and federal officials who are responsible for implementing Medicaid, CHIP and the ACA. The researchers who give us the data and analysis we need to make the case for improvements to coverage for children and families. And, the foundations that steadfastly have supported our work at CCF through many twists and turns. I’m grateful to each and every one of you for the chance to work together, and for your commitment to children and families.
When I look back on CCF itself and where it was when I began here, I can’t help but think about where I was in my own life in 2005. My husband and I had twin three-year olds and a baby. It was a crazy time…I once drove to the office only to discover that I had forgotten to change out of my sweat pants and pajama top.
Luckily, Cindy Mann, our director at the time, and Joan, my ever-unflappable co-director, were as committed to figuring out how we could care for our own children as improving health coverage for the nation’s children and families. I will always be grateful to them for their role in allowing me to be part of building CCF while still finding a way to balance work and family. (Sheryl Sandberg of “lean in” fame should come do a case study on CCF so she can add a chapter on finding the right colleagues and the art of supporting one another through those wonderful but challenging early parenting years.) More recently, Joan and other CCF staff kept things humming right along while I was on maternity leave with our latest (and last) baby because, you know, things were getting a little dull with just the three kids.
Seriously, though, as I was cleaning out my office this week, it struck me that the changes in CCF since I started are in some ways like those in my children – hard to register on a day-to-day basis as I work to make sure that everyone is dressed (with underwear changed!), fed and off to school and various activities. It is only when I look at old photos that I can really see the dramatic changes in them. In the same way, it is my departure from CCF that has allowed me to pull up and take stock. I had forgotten that when I first got here 
eight years ago we didn’t have a web site, much less a blog or twitter feed. We spent weeks once trying to figure out if we could pull off a Hill briefing. Most importantly, we didn’t have the collaborative team of staff that are at the heart of CCF and who do such amazing work on behalf of low-income children and families. It is leaving them that is the hardest part about moving to a new position.
Luckily, the advocacy community is a close-knit family and I fully expect to be in regular contact with my CCF colleagues and with you in my new position. Starting May 14th, my email will be JGuyer@manatt.com and my phone number will be 202-585-6501. Please be in touch.
