Press Releases
Wenstrup Introduces the Family First Transition Assistance Act of 2019
Washington,
May 23, 2019
|
Ann Tumolo
(202-225-3164)
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Brad Wenstrup (OH-02) introduced the Family First Transition Assistance Act of 2019, which provides states with the resources necessary to provide programs and services that keep children at home instead of in foster care. In 2018, the Family First Prevention Services Act (“Family First”) was signed into law. This law was designed to keep families together by helping states address the root causes of children being removed from their homes. The legislation provides states with funds for evidence-based services to address substance abuse, mental health, and other parenting challenges in an effort to address to the needs of struggling families, and ultimately, reduce the number of children entering the foster care system. The Family First Transition Assistance Act of 2019 builds on the opportunities created in Family First and ensures states can take advantage of new federal resources to stabilize families, keep children safe at home, and lower the demand for foster care placements. This new legislation provides states with funding opportunities for foster parent recruitment and retention and for family-based mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities, to ensure families have access to services and are able to stay together. It would also help states build out their prevention programming and ensure they have the IT and data systems needed to effectively provide services, report outcomes, and serve families. Upon introduction, Congressman Wenstrup released the following statement: “We can improve our child welfare programs by working to stabilize families before the need to remove children from their homes arises in the first place. This legislation will give states the resources to provide these prevention services, support struggling families, and reduce the number of children in foster care," said Wenstrup. Family First Transition Assistance Act of 2019 bill text can be found here. |
