The Evolution of Federal Child Welfare Policy through the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018: Opportunities, Barriers, and Unintended Consequences

Author(s):  
Mark F. Testa ◽  
David Kelly

The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 affords child welfare agencies a new opportunity to fund evidence-supported interventions to prevent children’s removal into public foster care and ensure that youth in care receive appropriate treatment in the least restrictive (most family-like) setting. The new law has been generally heralded as a much-needed improvement over prior funding constraints, but there are concerns among a growing number of child welfare leaders, researchers, professional membership organizations, and advocacy groups that its focus on the families of children who are at immanent risk of removal because of maltreatment is too limiting and that overreliance on strict evidence standards may contribute to racial disparity. This article considers how child welfare agencies can best leverage the opportunities presented by Family First while addressing potential barriers posed by the paucity of evidence-supported prevention programs and avoiding the unintended consequences of limiting reimbursement to only selective prevention services that meet rigorous evidence standards of effectiveness.

1991 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 15-24
Author(s):  
Brian Wharf

The following article by Professor Brian Wharf is based on programs operating in the USA. There are some signs of placement prevention programs being embraced by government bodies and non-government child welfare agencies in Australia and in Canada. His experience of developments in Australia, during a recent visit, prompted him to put forward this article for publication in Children Australia. There appears to be a remarkable similarity of interests between child welfare issues in Australia and Canada, particularly round the question of whether protection and prevention services should be integrated or provided by separate agencies or departments. Children Australia hopes this will be the first in a series of exchanges between Australia and Canada.


Author(s):  
Elizabeth S. Cole

The author discusses current challenges to increasing family-centered practice within child welfare agencies. The article focuses on two issues: (1) child welfare's collaboration with early-intervention and family-support services and (2) maintaining family-preservation services despite growing criticism of such services.


2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 1166-1188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Perez Jolles ◽  
Crystal Collins-Camargo ◽  
Bowen McBeath ◽  
Alicia C. Bunger ◽  
Emmeline Chuang

2007 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie A. Nuszkowski ◽  
Jeffrey H. Coben ◽  
Kelly J. Kelleher ◽  
Jennifer C. Goldcamp ◽  
Andrea L. Hazen ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 634-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Heneghan ◽  
Ruth E.K. Stein ◽  
Michael S. Hurlburt ◽  
Jinjin Zhang ◽  
Jennifer Rolls-Reutz ◽  
...  

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