The time for change is now
We should do everything we can to The passage of the Family First Act affirms what experts have known all along – children have better outcomes when they stay with their families. Thanks to a groundbreaking change in federal law, tax dollars once reserved for foster care are now available to fund prevention efforts – the kind of programming that exists to keep children from ever entering the system. The landmark Family First Prevention Services Act: Allows child welfare systems to use federal dollars to support programs that are proven to keep families together: l Parenting skills classes l Family counseling l Substance use disorder recovery l Mental health support Increases financial support for relatives who step up to care for a child who would otherwise be placed in foster care Restricts the use of group homes/institutions as placements for children in foster care We have before us a historic opportunity to transform America’s child welfare system. And you can be part of its future. We no longer have to settle for a system that punishes families when they most need support. That incentivizes separating families by funneling nearly half of all child welfare funding into foster care.
We are poised to transform child welfare, to create a just, equitable future for families.
— Susan Notkin Board Chair Foster America
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