At first glance, a state CSBG office and state association might seem like an odd couple. State CSBG offices administer CSBG funding and oversee and monitor CAAs in the state. State associations support and advocate for those CAAs, and their boards of directors are typically executive directors from the same CAAs that the state CSBG office monitors. But just as opposites attract, state CSBG offices and state associations share common commitments and goals, and engage in overlapping roles that can form the foundations of positive, productive relationships.

In this episode of CAPLAWCast, Bridging Across Barriers: The Mother of States, Abby Hanks and Matt Fitzgerald of Virginia's Office of Economic Development, and Erik Johnston of the Virginia Community Action Partnership (VACAP), discuss key aspects of the state office, state association relationship, including how they work together to provide maximum feasible deference to a diverse array of CAAs in Virginia, and how elements such as communication, trust, and flexibility have bolstered collaborative efforts and assisted CAAs across the Mother State