Follow up - The Family First Prevention Services Act

A few weeks ago I was excited to learn about The Family First Prevention Services Act and I shared that with you, however, there was a bit of controversy in the comments of my post.

At the time I used the following source https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/05/05/foster-care-family-first-prevention-services-act-trump/573560002/

I was accused of not reading the law. Just to clear it up, I did not read the law itself, I got the information from the above article which gave an overview of the law. I am not a law expert I am just a layman looking for hope in a seamless hopeless situation.

A few months ago when this situation of legal kidnapping of children from parents came to my attention, I was speechless and could not believe it. I was telling people here in South Africa about it and they are so ignorant, some of them told me outright they don't think this issue exists and were big mouths that they would never let anybody enter their home and take their children. How little do they know about how helpless you can become against the massive power of government. Some said to me they think it's just a conspiracy theory.

The plight of this helpless and mostly innocent people just got hold of me in my heart and I started to look at it and read more about it. Then I start writing about it here, looking for hope. Trying to shine the spotlight on any organisations or laws that are coming forward to help children and their parents. Marriage and Family are very high on my agenda as for Christians like myself it is even more important as it is not a man-made thing. Marriage was instituted by God Himself. So we have a godly duty to preserve marriage and the family union. The family forms the core of society if you get a breakdown of families then society will also break down in the end.

I also support the @familyprotection community in my previous program, Romance on the Air and the new program Spice4Life on mspwaves.com on Sundays at 7 pm UTC.

https://co4kids.org/community/new-federal-law-will-change-foster-care-we-know-it

So I now decide to put in this post the whole summary of the act from www.firstfocus.org

Family First Prevention Services Act

Bill Summary
March 2018
The Family First Prevention Services Act was signed into law as part of the Bipartisan
Budget Act on February 9, 2018. This act reforms the federal child welfare financing streams,
Title IV-E and Title IV-B of the Social Security Act, to provide services to families who are at
risk of entering the child welfare system. The bill aims to prevent children from entering foster
care by allowing federal reimbursement for mental health services, substance use treatment, and
in-home parenting skill training. It also seeks to improve the well-being of children already in
foster by incentivizing states to reduce placement of children in congregate care.

Part I. – Prevention Activities under Title IV-E

(Section. 50711)
• States may use title IV-E to provide up to 12 months of mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and in-home parenting training to families at risk of entry of the child welfare system
• Qualified candidates include children identified as safe to remain safely at home or in kinship placement with receipt of services, children in foster care who are parenting, or parents or caregivers where services are needed to prevent entry into care.
• States must maintain a prevention plan for the child to remain safely at home or live with a kin caregiver that lists the services or programs to be provided.
• Services must be trauma-informed and should be promising, supported, well-supported practices as modeled by the California Evidence Based Clearninghouse for child welfare
• HHS to issue guidance on practice criteria and pre-approved services no later than
October 1, 2018

Part II. - Enhanced Support Under Title IV-B:

(Sections 50721, 50722, 50723)
• Eliminates time limit for family reunification services
• Requires states to implement electronic interstate case processing system to expedite placement of children in foster care by FY 2027
• Provides $5 million in grants to states to assist with implementation of processing system
• Reauthorizes Regional Partnership Grants through FY 2021

Part III Miscellaneous

(Sections. 50731, 50732, 50733)
• HHS to establish model licensing standards for placement in a relative foster family home by October 1, 2018
• States to develop a statewide plan to prevent child abuse and neglect fatalities

Part IV – Ensuring the Necessity of a Placement that is not in a Foster Family Home

(Sections 50741, 50742, 50743, 50744, 50745, 50746)
• Title IV-E reimbursement for group homes will only be available for two weeks unless the child is in a qualified residential treatment program (QRTP), a setting that specializes in prenatal or parenting support, or supervised independent living for youth over 18.
• A QRTP must include a trauma-informed treatment model designed to meet the emotional and behavioral needs of children as identified by an assessment within 30 days of the child’s placement.
• States may delay the congregate care provisions for up to two years while forfeiting reimbursement for prevention services.

Part V. – Continuing Support for Child and Family Services

(Sections 50751, 50752, 50753)
• 8 million dollars to be appropriated for competitive grants to support recruitment and retention of high-quality foster families
• Reauthorizes the Stephanie Tubbs Jones child welfare services program, the Court Improvement program, and the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program
• Expands until 23 Chaffee supports for states that elected to extend eligibility for foster care to 21, and expands use of education and training vouchers for youth until 26

Part VI. – Continuing Incentives to States to Promote Adoption and Legal Guardianship

(Section 50761)
• Reauthorizes Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Payment Program

Part VII. Technical Corrections

(Section 50771, 50772)
• Amends state plan requirement under Title IV-B to describe ways to reduce length of time to permanency for children under the age of 5 and to address developmental needs of all vulnerable children under the age of 5 who receive IV-E or IV-B services

Part VIII. Ensuring States Reinvest Savings Resulting from Increases in Adoption Assistance.

(Section 50781, 50782)
• Delays Fostering Connections implementation of federal assistance for adoption of special needs children
• Children with special needs under 2 years old will be eligible for assistance if they meet existing requirements
• Requires GAO study on state reinvestment of these savings as a result of this delay
www.firstfocus.org

In my humble opinion there are some good things and then some bad things in this new law. Let's look at a few of the good things:

Part 1 sounds really hopeful as it clearly states:

States may use title IV-E to provide up to 12 months mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and in-home parenting training to families at risk of entry of the child welfare system
States must maintain a prevention plan for the child to remain safely at home or live with a kin caregiver that lists the services or programs to be provided.

So according to the above, there is clearly an intention to help families that are at risk of entering the child welfare system and clearly an intention to help children to stay at home or least kept with a family member.

Another good thing in Part II: "Eliminates time limit for family reunification services"

If I understand this correctly, families can be reunited sooner.

In Part III So a relative foster family home will also meet some licencing standards, which can be a good thing or bad if these standards delayed the child being placed with a family member.

HHS to establish model licensing standards for placement in a relative foster family home by October 1, 2018

Part V - the recruitment and retention of high-quality foster families must be a good thing.

• 8 million dollars to be appropriated for competitive grants to support recruitment and retention of high-quality foster families
• Reauthorizes the Stephanie Tubbs Jones child welfare services program, the Court Improvement program, and the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program

What is the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services program?

The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program (Title IV-B, subpart 1 of the Social Security Act) assists states and tribes to improve their child welfare services with the goal of keeping families together. States and tribes provide services in support of the following purposes:

• Protecting and promoting the welfare of all children;
• Preventing the neglect, abuse, or exploitation of children;
• Supporting at-risk families through services that allow children, where appropriate, to remain safely with their families or return to their families in a timely manner;
• Promoting the safety, permanence, and well-being of children in foster care and adoptive families; and
• Providing training, professional development, and support to ensure a well-qualified child welfare workforce. Services are available to children and their families without regard to income.
  https://www.benefits.gov/benefits/benefit-details/6119

What is The court improvement program?

The highest court of each State and territory participating in the Court Improvement Program (CIP) receives a grant from the Children's Bureau to complete a detailed self-assessment and develop and implement recommendations to enhance the court's role in achieving stable, permanent homes for children in foster care. Strategies include, for example, improving the timeliness and quality of hearings, reducing attorney and judicial caseloads, enhancing the quality of legal representation, and using computer technology and management information systems. Resources include State and local examples.
https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/courts/reform/cip/

What is The John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program?

The John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP) offers assistance to help current and former foster care youths achieve self-sufficiency. Grants are offered to States and Tribes who submit a plan to assist youth in a wide variety of areas designed to support a successful transition to adulthood. Activities and programs include, but are not limited to, help with education, employment, financial management, housing, emotional support and assured connections to caring adults for older youth in foster care. The program is intended to serve youth who are likely to remain in foster care until age 18, youth who, after attaining 16 years of age, have left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption, and young adults ages 18-21 who have "aged out" of the foster care system.
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/chafee-foster-care-program

The objectives of the above 3 programs seems all good. So a re-authorization of these programs is supposed to bring good outcomes and therefore a good thing.

You can also read this article:

All the articles that I read about the Family First Prevention Services Act place emphasis on the fact that the law wants to prevent placement of kids in foster care and help families to stay together.
“It’s a really significant reform for families,” said Hope Cooper, founding partner of True North Group, a Washington, D.C.-based public policy consultancy that advised child welfare agencies on the new law. “The emphasis is really on helping kids stay safe with families, and helping vulnerable families get help earlier.”
https://co4kids.org/community/new-federal-law-will-change-foster-care-we-know-it

So I have pointed out some things that look good to me, as said I am just a layman and not a law expert. I try to be positive and hopeful and see the glass as half full. I know there are other things in this new law that seems to be more of the old. But at least attorneys that represent parents will have the backup of the good things in this law. I keep on hoping for a better future. If you can't hope anymore you have nothing!

Sources as mentioned in the text.
Images as mentioned in the text.

Thank you for reading.

@hope777