The clearinghouse that greenlights foster care prevention services approved five new programs that states can finance by drawing down federal funds aimed at lessening the use of foster care.
The clearinghouse was established in relation to the Family First Prevention Services Act, passed in February of 2018. The law enables states to use the Title IV-E entitlement — previously reserved for foster care and adoption support — to fund services aimed at working with parents to help avoid the need for a family separation. Those services must be evidence-based and apply to three areas: parenting, substance abuse treatment and mental health interventions.
Following are the models approved for federal funds by the clearinghouse last week:
Attachment-Based Family Therapy
Rating: Promising
Description: A mental health intervention for adolescents and young adults that aims to repair trust between adolescents and parents and re-establish parents as a source of support for the adolescent.
Rating: Promising
Description: Short-term mental health program designed to help children and adults who have survived deeply traumatic experiences.
Rating: Promising
Description: Uses trained coaches to work with parents and children after regularly scheduled pediatric visits.
Smart Beginnings
Rating: Promising
Description: A combination of two models — Video Interaction Project and Family Check-Up, which already has a “Well-Supported” rating with the clearinghouse — to promote school readiness and positive behavior in young children.
Treatment Foster Care Oregon for Adolescents
Ratings: Promising
Description: A treatment model to help youth between 12-17 remain in their homes while working through severe emotional problems.
The clearinghouse found that two other versions of Treatment Foster Care Oregon, one for preschoolers and one for kids between 7-11, did not meet the criteria for approval.
The clearinghouse has reviewed 148 individual models and programs, and 78 have received a rating of “Promising” or higher; 17 have received the highest rate of “Well-Supported.”
Thus far, 37 states and Washington, D.C., have received the required federal approval to use these services with federal funds. Another 10 states have submitted a plan for approval, and are awaiting word from the Administration for Children and Families. Three Native American tribes have received direct approval for prevention plans — Cherokee Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee and Salt River Pima — and the Port Gamble S’Klallam tribe has submitted a plan for approval
Only four states have yet to even submit a prevention plan to the feds, which is required to access the funds: Alabama, Alaska, South Dakota and Texas.
