Reference no: EM133223284

This is the specific action we aim to pursue/policy change we hope to achieve.

Our goal is to ensure that all 50 states buy into and therefore, enact the Family First Act into their child welfare framework so that they are implementing evidence-based, well-supported programming with a focus on mental health, substance use rehabilitation, and kinship/parenting skills supports. Evidence shows thats out-of-home placements are less effective than kinship and familial care and induce more traumatic experiences. With the Family First Prevention Services Act, programs are required to meet either of three levels of empirical evidence: promising practice, supported practice, well-supported practice, meaning that programs under the Family First Act must be evidence-based in nature.

Our goal is for states to adopt this legislation and implement existing programs that are empirically supported and approved under the act. Replace existing programs within foster agencies with the parameters of family first act with a focus on kinship care first and out of home placement second. Using evidenced based programs that emphasize trauma informed support, ??Supports preventions services, Provides support for kinship (relative) caregivers, Establishes requirements for placement in residential treatment programs and improves quality and oversight of services & Improves services to older youth.

In a detailed explanation, explain why these stakeholders would be needed to engage in our advocacy efforts: Federal government Training programs, State Governments that have passed legislation, Department of Children & Families, Kinship Foster Parents, schools, foster youth. Also, explain why Group Homes, tax payers, etc oppose the Act