The Family First Act: An unprecedented opportunity to transform child welfare

Kids should grow up in safe, stable and secure families who support their long-term well-being. Research makes it clear — growing up in a family is essential for all kids, especially those who have experienced abuse or neglect. Family First is an opportunity moment that offers exciting possibilities for us to be responsive to the specific needs of children, teens and families. 

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Family First Resource Database

This database has been compiled by partner organizations and contains links to resources relating to the Family First Act. Search by resource type, topic, geographic location, or source. Note that you may view two ways: summary and list.  Have a Family First resource that you think would be useful? Share it here >

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Guidance

New Federal Rule Supports Kinship Families in Foster Care

On September 28, 2023, the U.S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issued a final rule that explicitly gives all Title IV-E child welfare agencies the option to use kin-specific... (Read more)

Published Oct 4, 2023

Title IV-E Prevention Plan

Status of Family First IV-E Prevention Claiming

This map shows which states have received funds from the Children's Bureau for prevention services. See the map here .(Read more)

Published Oct 4, 2023

Title IV-E Prevention Plan

Status of Family First Prevention Plans

This map, updated on August 21, 2023, shows the status of Family First Prevention plans that have (or have not) been submitted to the Children's Bureau. See the map here .(Read more)

Published Oct 4, 2023

News

Counties kick off Colorado Kinnected Kinship Navigator Program

September is National Kinship Care Month, and on Sept. 15, the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) hosted a kickoff event for the new Colorado Kinnected Kinship Navigator Program at... (Read more)

Published Sep 25, 2023

Real Story, Data / Research, Constituent Engagement

Decriminalizing being in Foster Care

Decriminalizing the response to foster care involves reevaluating and reforming the way systems interact with families and children in need of support. The primary goal should be to prioritize the... (Read more)

Published Sep 25, 2023

Data / Research

Promoting Peer Support in Child Welfare

Peer support programs are crucial for children and families, particularly when children are removed from their parents, whether or not it is through the formal child welfare system. For children,... (Read more)

Published Sep 25, 2023

Opinion

Connecting Generations: Finding Intergenerational Activities Within Your Community

Intergenerational connections bring people of different generations together—typically children or youth and older adults, but these connections can bring adults of all ages together with older adults, too. Whatever the... (Read more)

Published Sep 25, 2023

Title Resource Type Topic Location Source Published
ACYF-CB-IM-21-02: Civil Legal Advocacy to Promote Child and Family Well-being, Address the Social Determinants of Health, and Enhance Community Resilience Guidance Courts
Federal
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
01/12/21
ACYF-CB-IM-21-03: Emerging Transformed, Lessons from COVID-19 Pandemic Guidance Overview / General, COVID-19
Federal
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
01/12/21
ACYF-CB-IM-21-04: Clarification on Family First Services and Cultural Adaptation for Tribes Title IV-E Prevention Plan, Implementation Strategies Prevention
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
01/13/21
ACYF-CB-IM-21-05: NEW LEGISLATION – Public Law (P.L.) 116-260 Guidance, News COVID-19, Courts, Older Youth / Chafee, Kinship
Federal
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
01/13/21
ACYF-CB-IM-21-06: Utilizing Title IV-E Funding to Support High Quality Legal Representation Financing, Guidance Overview / General, Courts
Federal
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
01/14/21
ACYF-CB-PI-18-07 Public Law 115-123, the Family First Prevention Services Act: Implementation of Title IV-E Plan Requirements Program Instructions Overview / General
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
07/09/18
ACYF-CB-PI-18-09 State Requirements for Electing Title IV-E Prevention and Family Services and Programs Program Instructions Kinship
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
11/30/18
ACYF-CB-PI-18-10 Tribal Title IV-E Agency Requirements for Electing Title IV-E Prevention and Family Services and Programs Program Instructions Overview / General, Prevention
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
11/30/18
ACYF-CB-PI-18-11 Requirements for Participating in the Title IV-E Kinship Navigator Program Program Instructions Kinship
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
11/30/18
ACYF-CB-PI-18-11: Requirements for Participating in the Title IV-E Kinship Navigator Program Program Instructions Kinship
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
11/30/18
ACYF-CB-PI-19-01 FY 2019 IV-B-2 Kinship Navigator funding for 2019 Plus Attachments Program Instructions Kinship
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
01/31/19
ACYF-CB-PI-19-04 - Tribal Child & Family Services Plan Program Instructions Older Youth / Chafee, Overview / General
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
03/19/19
ACYF-CB-PI-19-06: Transitional Payments for Title IV-E Prevention and Family Services and Programs Program Instructions Evidence-Based Practice, Prevention
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
07/18/19
ACYF-CB-PI-19-07 - Family First Prevention Services Act, Title IV-E Kinship Navigator Programs Program Instructions Kinship
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
12/20/19
ACYF-CB-PI-20-02 - State Guidance on FY 2021 Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR) Program Instructions Older Youth / Chafee, Overview / General
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/05/20
ACYF-CB-PI-20-03 Guidance to Tribes on requirements for submission of the First Annual Progress and Services Report (“2021 APSR”) Program Instructions Older Youth / Chafee
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/06/20
ACYF-CB-PI-20-04: Guidance to States, Territories and Indian Tribes on Family First Prevention Services Act Transition Grant Program Instructions Prevention
Federal
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/27/20
ACYF-CB-PI-20-05 - Kinship Navigator funding Program Instructions Kinship
Federal
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/28/20
ACYF-CB-PI-20-08: Family First Transition Act Funding Certainty Grants Guidance Overview / General
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
04/15/20
ACYF-CB-PI-20-09 : Approval of a revised form for reporting financial data on the title IV-E Service Programs Program Instructions Overview / General
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
04/27/20
ACYF-CB-PI-20-10: Stafford Act Flexibility for Certain Title IV-E Requirements Advocacy Tools, Financing COVID-19
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
04/07/20
ACYF-CB-PI-21-02 - Updated guidance on applying for FY 2022 CIP Funding Program Instructions Courts
Federal
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
02/12/21
ACYF-CB-PI-21-04 - Implementing Older Youth Provisions in Consolidated Appropriations Act Program Instructions Older Youth / Chafee
Federal
Tribal
Other
03/09/21
ACYF-CB-PI-21-05- Implementing Kinship Navigator Funding in Consolidated Appropriations Act Program Instructions Kinship
Federal
Tribal
Other
03/09/21
ACYF-CB-PI-21-06 Program Instructions Overview / General
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
04/21/21
ACYF-CB-PI-21-07 Program Instructions Overview / General
Federal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
05/05/21
Addressing Bias in Delinquency and Child Welfare Systems Advocacy Tools
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
07/22/18
Addressing common forms of child maltreatment: evidence-informed interventions and gaps in current knowledge Implementation Strategies Child Fatalities, Evidence-Based Practice
Casey Family Programs
09/01/12
Addressing Economic Hardship Key to Preventing Child Welfare System Involvement Data / Research Prevention
Federal
Tribal
Chapin Hall
02/13/23
Addressing the decline in child abuse reports and supporting child well-being Advocacy Tools COVID-19
Other
06/15/20
Adoption and Guardianship for Children in Kinship Foster Care Data / Research Kinship
Federal
Tribal
Generations United
05/01/23
Adoption and Guardianship for Children in Kinship Foster Care Law / Summary Adoption Assistance, Kinship
Generations United
02/05/19
Advancing Family Economic Mobility Data / Research Prevention
Federal
Tribal
American Public Human Services Association
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
09/11/23
Advancing Healthy Outcomes: Eight Ways to Promote the Health and Well-Being of LGBTQ+ Youth Involved with Child Welfare through Families First Advocacy Tools Prevention
Other
08/14/20
Advancing Healthy Outcomes: Eight Ways to Promote the Health and Well-being of LGBTQ+ Youth Involved with Child Welfare through Family First Implementation Implementation Strategies Evidence-Based Practice, Older Youth / Chafee, Overview / General, Prevention
Federal
Other
08/19/19
Advancing Primary Prevention in Human Services: Convening Findings Data / Research Prevention
Federal
Tribal
Federal HHS/ACYF/CB
05/08/23
Affirming and Nurturing Racial Identity and Equality in Children Advocacy Tools
Other
07/13/20
APHSA Family First Prevention Services Act Presentation/Webinar Overview / General
Federal
Arkansas
Texas
American Public Human Services Association
02/04/19
Applying Family First in Washington, DC State Teams, Implementation Strategies Prevention
Federal
District of Columbia
Other
10/30/19
Applying the Research and Evaluation Provisions of the Family First Prevention Services Act Data / Research, Guidance Evidence-Based Practice
Federal
Child Trends
10/25/19
Are Direct Payments The Answer to Keeping Black Families Out of Foster Care? News Prevention
District of Columbia
Other
09/05/23
Arkansas Family First Prevention Plan Implementation Strategies Prevention
Arkansas
Other
02/12/20
Arkansas Revised Prevention Plan Nov. 2019 Submission (Draft) State Teams, Implementation Strategies Prevention
Arkansas
Other
11/05/19
Arkansas Title IV-E 5 Year Prevention Plan State Teams, Title IV-E Prevention Plan Prevention, Evidence-Based Practice
Arkansas
Other
09/23/19
Ascending Flow helps young people aging out of foster care find creative outlets News Older Youth / Chafee
Oregon
Other
04/10/23
Bass, Members of Congress Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Assist with Transition in Child Welfare Funding News Overview / General
Federal
Senate / Congress
05/14/19
Benefits of Kinship Placement: Social science support for your in-court and out-of-court legal advocacy. Implementation Strategies Kinship
Federal
Tribal
American Bar Association
05/15/23
Birth Parent National Network Member Corey Best Spotlights the Problem with America’s Child Welfare System Advocacy Tools, Real Story, Constituent Engagement, Guidance Overview / General
Federal
Tribal
Birth Parent National Network
10/28/20
Birth Parent National Network Webinar – Update on Family First Prevention Services Act (October 2019) Real Story, Constituent Engagement Prevention
Federal
Children's Trust Fund Alliance
Birth Parent National Network
10/25/19
Black Kinship Families – Identifying Needs and Challenges Presentation/Webinar Kinship
Federal
Other
08/01/23
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