NETWORK OF SOLUTIONS
An estimated one out of every five couples is infertile. Between the emotional stress, preponderance of information
(some good, some not-so-good) out there and the sheer desperation, infertility can be a long and lonely winding road
to nowhere.

RESOLVE, The National Infertility Association is a truly progressive
non-profit organization created to support couples in the face of
this epic disease. From education to advocacy to compassion in
time of crisis, RESOLVE is a trailblazer of a charity in concept,
construction and consequence.

"RESOLVE is 32 years old and was started by a nurse, Barbara Eck Menning, who experienced infertility. Barbara joined
forces with another nurse, Diane Clapp, who also experienced infertility. At that time they both felt that there was no reliable, unbiased information or support for infertile couples. It was a grass roots beginning borne out of need,” says Director of Development Jennifer Jones.

With a mission to provide timely, compassionate support and information to people who are experiencing infertility and to increase awareness of infertility issues through public education and advocacy, RESOLVE's agenda is clear and powerful.
 
“Basically, at our headquarters, which we just moved from the Boston are to DC in an effort to increase our advocacy work, we are all about educating and advocating for the masses. We have a national help line. We offer information and education through printed materials and our website. We also advocate for insurance coverage. Our immediate goal is change insurance practices, Jones says.

She continues, “Our stance on affordability goes the route of having more mandates for insurance coverage. Right now there are only 15 states that have mandated insurance coverage and many of those have a lot of loopholes. In a lot of those states, the legislation is always in jeopardy. For example, in Massachusetts—a state that has some of the best coverage and best success stories (in terms of showing the insurance coverage for infertility can actually reduce cost because it helps reduce the incidence of multiples)—the insurance was just challenged about six months ago.”

While it's commonly know that fertility treatments are costly, the average fertility treatment ranges from $10,000 to upwards of $30,000 to $40,000, most don't know how expensive adoption is. Jones tell us that RESOLVE is also very much about the adoption alternative, too.

“We also support legislation for adoption. There's an adoption tax credit right now, people can write off a very small portion of the adoption, but the average adoption can be $10,000 to $20,000. We're always pushing to have that adoption tax credit be more,” she clarifies.

“Resolve, hence the name, is all about resolving your infertility. It can also be helping to support a couple, who after whatever journey they've gone through, decides that they're not going to have children. Our stance is we don't advocate any medical treatment over adoption or adoption over living child-free. It's about supporting the individual or the couple through their journey with compassionate, education and information,” Jones adds.

One way RESOVLE helps is through its regional outreach programs. “We're the only national organization that also has a regional structure. It's at the local level that all that face-to-face support happens. Locally we have peer-to-peer groups and expert-led support groups that conduct educational seminars all over the country on adoption and medical treatment. In addition, we give people all the unbiased information and all the support we can, so they can make it through and
come to some sort of resolution,” Jones adds.

We at THE FAMILY GROOVE support RESOLVE for the life-changing and compassion-breeding evolution and revolution that it is waging.

For more information, to get involved, to make a donation, or seek support for yourself, go to www.resolve.org.

THE FAMILY GROOVE donates a percentage of each issue to its charity of the month.

Don't forget that National Infertility Awareness Week is October 29 through November 4.