News & Updates on FFPSA
News, Press Releases, and more:
January 2021
Children’s Bureau Releases Guidance on Family First Services and Cultural Adaptations for Tribes
On January 13, 2021 Children’s Bureau released guidance with the intent to: “clarify how allowable adaptations to evidence-based programs and services that have been rated by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse can be used to provide flexibility for tribal communities under state title IV-E prevention programs, and to encourage state IV-E agencies to identify with tribes which services will be most helpful and to work with tribes to make allowable adaptations to services that will be responsive to tribal culture”.
December 2020
Federal Legislation provides important flexibilities for the implementation of Family First Act during the Pandemic
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, signed into law on December 27 of 2020, included a series of provisions related to Family First implementation and home visiting. They were included as part of the bipartisan Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act, which also featured additional funding for the Chafee Independent Living Program, the Mary Lee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (IV-B) and the Court Improvement Program. Some other relevant provisions of the Act include:
- Temporarily waives the state match requirement for the Title IV-E Prevention Program created under Family First. This means that between January 27, 2021 and September 30, 2021 the federal reimbursement rate for these programs will increase from 50% to 100% .
- Provides adjustments from July 1 2020 to December 31, 2021 of funding certainty baselines for the Family First Transition Act funding certainty grants so that temporary FMAP increases don’t reduce grant amounts and offers a technical correction to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to ensure the District of Columbia receives the enhanced FMAP rate.
- Provides flexibilities for home visiting programs, allowing virtual home visits, protecting funding even if there is a reduced enrollment, and allowing funds to be used for training virtual visits and providing emergency supplies to families.
- Delays MIECHV deadlines on program deliverables– for more details on these, you can access: https://mchb.hrsa.gov/Home-Visiting-Information-During-COVID-19.
July 24, 2019
Healthy Families America Receives Highest Rating from Federal Evaluator
Chicago—Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) announced today that its signature evidence-based home visiting program, Healthy Families America (HFA), has received the highest rating—“well-supported”—from the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse. Developed by the US Department of Health and Human Services in accordance with the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) of 2018, the clearinghouse systematically reviews research and evaluates programs and services intended to provide enhanced support to children and families, including mental health, substance abuse and parenting assistance, and prevent foster care placements nationwide.
The FFPSA, for the first time ever, enables funds typically reserved for “after-the-fact” intervention services to be used for upstream strategies such as home visiting.
“Our model is rooted in science that shows early nurturing relationships are the foundation for healthy development and lifelong well-being,” explained HFA National Director of Operations Kathleen Strader. “We’re pleased that the clearinghouse recognizes the significance and value of our proactive approach and the positive impact it has on children, families, and communities across the country.”
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