Social Change Partners

Last week, several prominent California child welfare experts expressed grave concerns about the Family First Prevention Services Act, ­pending federal legislation that would dramatically change how foster care is paid for.

Earlier this month, the federal Family First Prevention Services Act (H.R. 5456) was finally introduced after more than a year of hearings and behind-the-scenes work by Congressional staff. The bill has two main purposes: to bolster federal investments to prevent entries into foster care, and to reduce the number of children and youth who are placed in congregate care settings.

Every time I explain federal child welfare financing to someone for the first time – whether it be a student or a Congressional staffer – I have the same experience. I start by saying that the federal government doesn’t actually run a child welfare system, but instead establishes requirements and standards for state and county-based systems and then provides funding to put those standards into practice.

Foster Youth in Action, a national foster youth advocacy organization, hosted a webinar just before the holidays wherein youth and advocates shared their thoughts on the proposed Families First Act and other policy issues.* 

Given the non-representative electorate that turned out to vote on November 4, we can debate whether the 2014 midterms were a “wave” election or not, but unquestionably they resulted in big victories for the Republican Party in Congress.