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People join boards of directors for a number of reasons – to develop business relationships, build a resume or amplify a career, to do something good for the world. For Doug Haynes, the latter clearly is his motivator for service on the Family & Children’s Place Board. For in addition to being a top-rated attorney, Haynes has his Master of Social Work degree.

Family & Children’s Place is the leading agency in Louisville delivering preventive and corrective solutions through six program areas – Child & Family Services, Child Advocacy Center, Family & School Services, Family Stabilization Program, HANDS and the PAL Initiative –to the complex issues surrounding children who have been witness or subject to violence, neglect and abuse.

That MSW, he says, connects him to the work in a profound way.

“As a family law attorney, my job is to represent to the best of my ability and within the law, the best interest of clients through issues such as domestic violence, divorce, adoption, paternity, alcohol and substance abuse and other crises.

“But my social work background helps me see the beyond the legal points, who gets what property, how does visitation work, to the impact on the children, to their view of the world and themselves, their self-worth and confidence, their safety and security. That’s what led me to seek an invitation to join the board for Family & Children’s Place.”

And while this isn’t Haynes’ first experience on a board, it’s the most satisfying.

“This is a working board,” he says. “We get to know the programs, go on home visits with our HANDS workers, and meet the students in or Family & School Services program at Meyzeek Middle. We see the environments these families and students live in and the challenges they face, and we see firsthand the support they get from professionally trained staff that genuinely care about helping them succeed.”

That, Haynes says, is very satisfying. “I get to use both the hardware (law) and software (social work background), and work with other board members, volunteers and donors to be sure staff have the tools and resources to help and save these children from a very uncertain future.”