Abt Associates

With just months left until the law takes effect, the Family First Prevention Services Clearinghouse failed to meet its goal of a May release for the first list of approved foster care prevention services under the law.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based research firm Abt Associates has been tapped to establish the clearinghouse that will dictate which programs are approved under a new federal reform of child welfare financing. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) awarded Abt a contract through 2022 that could reach $5.2 million, and includes $1.8 million for the first wave.