Editorial Comments are provided by the writer in their personal capacity and without prior sight of journal content.
This month, CYC-Online is published for the 333rd consecutive month. Reaching a 333rd milestone in publishing is rare; sustaining it, every single month since February 1999 is extraordinary. For nearly twenty-eight years, CYC-Online has arrived like clockwork into inboxes, staff rooms, and remote corners across the globe. This Issue 333 represents not just an impressive streak of digital print, but a living archive of our Child and Youth Care profession.
What began in the late 1990s as an experiment to connect a dispersed global field has evolved into an essential community bond. And at the heart of the endurance and commitment of CYC-Online are the regular contributors who have shared their voices and wisdom across decades. Month after month, year after year, writers like Mark Krueger, Mark Smith, Gerry Fewster, John Digney, Max Smart, John Stein, Karen vanderVen, Laura Steckley, Grant Charles, Leon Fulcher, Jack Phelan, Kiaras Gharabaghi, Hans Skott-Myhre, and of course our founding editors, Thom Garfat and Brian Gannon, did not simply report on the work — they invited us into its evolution. Through personal reflections, provocations, practical wisdom, and postcards from across continents, these recurring voices established a rhythm that generations of practitioners rely on, speaking regularly of the everyday relational moments that define the field. Most importantly, by “turning up” each month, they modelled what reflective practice looks like, while creating space for emerging writers, frontline workers, and young people themselves to join the dialogue.
But the strength of CYC-Online lies in the work it still must do. While we honour the enduring voices that laid our foundations, it must also serve as an invitation for the next generation of storytellers, thinkers, and frontline advocates. You do not need an academic title or a long bibliography to write for CYC-Online — you only need an encounter with the work, a reflection, and the courage to share what this field has taught you. Whether you are a student noticing something new on your first practicum, or a practitioner trying a new approach in your community, your perspective is vital to the evolution of Child and Youth Care. Submit that draft, share that reflection, and help us write the next 333 chapters together. As yes, we will help you along the way.
To have published 333 consecutive monthly issues demonstrates an extraordinary level of commitment to children and youth in care. And our commitment will continue to carry the conversation forward, one month at a time.
