Policy & Practice | Spring 2023

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that demonstrate evidence of impact and are there fore eligible for 50 percent reimbursement. To receive reimbursement for programs under Family First, Title IV-E agencies must submit a Prevention Plan for review and approval by the Children’s Bureau in the Administration for Children and Families, the federal office that oversees the use of all Title IV-E funding. The Prevention Plan outlines each jurisdiction’s definition of candidacy, why that population is con sidered to be at “imminent risk,” and which programs they will use to reduce those risk factors. Plans are approved for a five-year period and can be amended at any time. Since the enactment of Family First, 40 states, 3 tribes, and the District of Columbia have approved Prevention Plans, 1 and 66 programs have been approved for use by the Clearinghouse.

February 2018, Congress passed the Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First) which, among other provisions, for the first-time authorized Title IV-E federal funding to be used for prevention services that address the causes of child maltreatment and not just its consequences. Under Family First, Title IV-E funding can now be used to provide evidence-based services—including in-home parenting programs, mental health services, substance misuse prevention and treat ment, and kinship navigator services—to children, youth, and families before the need for out-of-home care develops. The Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse), developed in accor dance with Family First, evaluates and rates programs

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Spring 2023 Policy & Practice