The Family First Act: An unprecedented opportunity to transform child welfare

Kids should grow up in safe, stable and secure families who support their long-term well-being. Research makes clear — growing up in a family is essential for all kids, especially those who have experienced abuse or neglect. Family First is an opportunity moment that offers exciting possibilities for us to be responsive to the specific needs of children, teens and families. 

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Family First Resource Database

This database has been compiled by partner organizations and contains links to resources relating to the Family First Act. Search by resource type, topic, geographic location, or source. Note that you may view two ways: summary and list.  Have a Family First resource that you think would be useful? Share it here >

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Data / Research, Guidance

Chapin Hall Builds National Understanding of Pandemic’s Impact on Families

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of our lives, including work, education, childcare, health, finances and contact with family and friends. It has also affected child welfare system and... (Read more)

Published Dec 21, 2020

Constituent Engagement, Guidance

A Guide for the Legal Community: The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018

The American Bar Association has issued a new guide for the legal community on Family First. This guide is designed to strengthen the legal community’s understanding and capacity to use... (Read more)

Published Dec 21, 2020

Implementation Strategies, News

New Program Ratings & Updates from the Prevention Services Clearinghouse

The Prevention Services Clearinghouse announced that new ratings and program eligibility determinations are now available for the following programs and services. All of the below programs and services have met... (Read more)

Published Dec 17, 2020

State Teams

Redefining Judicial Leadership: Stories of Transformative Practice

Through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) funding, the Implementation Sites Project was developed to replicate the infrastructure pioneered by the National Council of Juvenile and Court... (Read more)

Published Dec 11, 2020

Real Story

Grandfamilies Share Stories of COVID-19 Hardships and Hope

In summer 2020, StoryCorps recorded these conversations as part of a project that focused on helping us understand the unique impacts COVID-19 is having on various types of families, including... (Read more)

Published Dec 6, 2020

Advocacy Tools, Opinion, Real Story

Support for kinship care is an investment that can benefit families and children

In this Des Moines Register Opinion piece, Andreah Moyer-Stevens, a kinship caregiver, foster and adoptive parent writes about the value of investing in kinship families. Read her firsthand story here... (Read more)

Published Dec 4, 2020

Guidance

Letter to the Field from Assoc. Commissioner Jerry Milner: Ensuring the Continuation of Critical Court Hearings

In a December 4, 2020 letter, Dr. Milner urges agencies and courts to continue working together to ensure that access to justice continues and that critical judicial oversight occur in... (Read more)

Published Dec 4, 2020

Title Resource Type Topic Location Source Published
Family First Prevention Services Act: Implications For Addressing Youth Homelessness Advocacy Tools Older Youth / Chafee, Prevention
Federal
Other
11/20/19
Fiscal Analysis for Family First: Guide and Tools Advocacy Tools Prevention
Annie E. Casey Foundation
07/13/20
Improving State and Tribal Foster Family Home Licensing Standards: Complying with the Family First Prevention Services Act’s Licensing Requirements. Advocacy Tools, Presentation/Webinar, Guidance Kinship, Overview / General
Federal
Generations United
03/26/19
Leveraging the FFPSA for Older Youth: Reduction of Group Care Provisions Guidance Older Youth / Chafee, QRTP / Congregate Care
American Bar Association
01/31/19
Title IV-E funding for legal representation and Title IV-E funding for Family First Prevention Services. Guidance Courts, Prevention
Federal
American Bar Association
Casey Family Programs
11/13/19
"Family First Prevention Services Act Section by Section Law / Summary Overview / General
Other
01/31/19
2020 Kids Count Data Book: 2020 State Trends in Child Well-Being Advocacy Tools
Annie E. Casey Foundation
06/21/20
2020 State of Grandfamilies in America Annual Report: Facing a Pandemic: Grandfamilies Living Together During COVID-19 and Thriving Beyond Presentation/Webinar, Constituent Engagement Kinship
Federal
Generations United
09/30/20
A Guide for the Legal Community: The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 Constituent Engagement, Guidance Courts
Federal
Tribal
American Bar Association
12/21/20
A Podcast: A Guide to Implementing Family First Implementation Strategies Prevention
American Academy of Pediatrics
Child Focus
Children's Defense Fund
06/19/20
A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF FAMILY CENTERED TREATMENT Data / Research
Other
04/07/20
Accreditation Guru's Family First Prevention Services Act Resource Page Implementation Strategies QRTP / Congregate Care
Federal
Other
02/20/19
ACCREDITOR COMPARISON Data / Research QRTP / Congregate Care
Other
02/04/19
ACF Grant Recipient COVID-19 Guidance Guidance COVID-19
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
04/02/20
ACF-ACYF-CB-PI-19-02 State 2020-2024 CFSP Program Instructions Program Instructions Older Youth / Chafee
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
03/13/19
Achieving and Maintaining Permanency Advocacy Tools
Other
07/17/20
ACYF-CB-IM-18-02 NEW LEGISLATION – Public Law 115-123, the Family First Prevention Services Act within Division E, Title VII of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 Guidance Overview / General
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
04/12/18
ACYF-CB-IM-18-04 NEICE 2018 funding Guidance Interstate Placement / NEICE
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
08/23/18
ACYF-CB-IM-18-05 - Reshaping child welfare in the United States to focus on strengthening families Guidance Prevention
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
11/16/18
ACYF-CB-IM-19-01 National Model Foster Family Home Licensing Standards Guidance Overview / General
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/04/19
ACYF-CB-IM-19-03 -Family, Children and Youth Voice, Engagement, and Empowerment; Continuous Quality Improvement; System-Change Efforts Constituent Engagement, Guidance
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
08/06/19
ACYF-CB-IM-19-04 Evaluation Plan Development Tip Sheet Program Instructions Evidence-Based Practice, Prevention
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
08/13/19
ACYF-CB-IM-20-01: New Legislation Family First Transition Act (PL 116-94) News Overview / General
Federal
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
01/22/20
ACYF-CB-IM-20-02 Family Time and visitation for children and youth in out-of-home care. Guidance Older Youth / Chafee, Overview / General, Prevention
Federal
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/04/20
ACYF-CB-IM-20-03 - Strengthening Technology Support for Recruitment, Approval, and Retention of Foster Homes Guidance Overview / General
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/10/20
ACYF-CB-IM-20-04 on Updated Chafee Program Allotments Guidance Older Youth / Chafee
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/13/20
ACYF-CB-IM-20-05: Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the CARES Act Program Instructions COVID-19
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
04/05/20
ACYF-CB-IM-20-06: The Administration of Titles IV-E and IV-B Program Instructions COVID-19
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
04/28/20
ACYF-CB-PI-18-07 Public Law 115-123, the Family First Prevention Services Act: Implementation of Title IV-E Plan Requirements Program Instructions Overview / General
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
07/09/18
ACYF-CB-PI-18-09 State Requirements for Electing Title IV-E Prevention and Family Services and Programs Program Instructions Kinship
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
11/30/18
ACYF-CB-PI-18-10 Tribal Title IV-E Agency Requirements for Electing Title IV-E Prevention and Family Services and Programs Program Instructions Overview / General, Prevention
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
11/30/18
ACYF-CB-PI-18-11 Requirements for Participating in the Title IV-E Kinship Navigator Program Program Instructions Kinship
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
11/30/18
ACYF-CB-PI-18-11: Requirements for Participating in the Title IV-E Kinship Navigator Program Program Instructions Kinship
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
11/30/18
ACYF-CB-PI-19-01 FY 2019 IV-B-2 Kinship Navigator funding for 2019 Plus Attachments Program Instructions Kinship
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
01/31/19
ACYF-CB-PI-19-04 - Tribal Child & Family Services Plan Program Instructions Older Youth / Chafee, Overview / General
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
03/19/19
ACYF-CB-PI-19-06: Transitional Payments for Title IV-E Prevention and Family Services and Programs Program Instructions Evidence-Based Practice, Prevention
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
07/18/19
ACYF-CB-PI-19-07 - Family First Prevention Services Act, Title IV-E Kinship Navigator Programs Program Instructions Kinship
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
12/20/19
ACYF-CB-PI-20-02 - State Guidance on FY 2021 Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR) Program Instructions Older Youth / Chafee, Overview / General
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/05/20
ACYF-CB-PI-20-03 Guidance to Tribes on requirements for submission of the First Annual Progress and Services Report (“2021 APSR”) Program Instructions Older Youth / Chafee
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/06/20
ACYF-CB-PI-20-04: Guidance to States, Territories and Indian Tribes on Family First Prevention Services Act Transition Grant Program Instructions Prevention
Federal
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/27/20
ACYF-CB-PI-20-05 - Kinship Navigator funding Program Instructions Kinship
Federal
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/28/20
ACYF-CB-PI-20-08: Family First Transition Act Funding Certainty Grants Guidance Overview / General
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
04/15/20
ACYF-CB-PI-20-09 : Approval of a revised form for reporting financial data on the title IV-E Service Programs Program Instructions Overview / General
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
04/27/20
ACYF-CB-PI-20-10: Stafford Act Flexibility for Certain Title IV-E Requirements Advocacy Tools, Financing COVID-19
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
04/07/20
Addressing Bias in Delinquency and Child Welfare Systems Advocacy Tools
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
07/22/18
Addressing common forms of child maltreatment: evidence-informed interventions and gaps in current knowledge Implementation Strategies Child Fatalities, Evidence-Based Practice
Casey Family Programs
09/01/12
Addressing the decline in child abuse reports and supporting child well-being Advocacy Tools COVID-19
Other
06/15/20
Adoption and Guardianship for Children in Kinship Foster Care Law / Summary Adoption Assistance, Kinship
Generations United
02/05/19
Advancing Healthy Outcomes: Eight Ways to Promote the Health and Well-Being of LGBTQ+ Youth Involved with Child Welfare through Families First Advocacy Tools Prevention
Other
08/14/20
Advancing Healthy Outcomes: Eight Ways to Promote the Health and Well-being of LGBTQ+ Youth Involved with Child Welfare through Family First Implementation Implementation Strategies Evidence-Based Practice, Older Youth / Chafee, Overview / General, Prevention
Federal
Other
08/19/19
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