Six years after the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) was first signed into law, states are assessing and updating their soon-to-be expired, mandatory prevention plans with one unified goal: keeping families together safely.
Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families is inviting community providers, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, tribal partners, caregivers, and community members to several “FFPSA Collaborative Forums” this fall to provide their feedback and help guide the new plan that is anticipated to begin in 2025, pending Children's Bureau approval.
These forums include an overview of FFPSA and recent federal policy as well as an opportunity for participants to voice their thoughts and feedback about the current child welfare system and prevention services offered in Washington State. The feedback collected will guide the 2025-2029 FFPSA Prevention Plan which will focus on implementing more prevention services, keeping families together and out of the child welfare system. The original prevention plan was created in 2020 and expires this year.
"It is critical that we include our community in this process,” FFPSA Program Administrator Phyllis Duncan-Souza said. “The best way to improve our child welfare system and keep families together is to hear from everyone involved, from employees to lived experts. We are excited to gather diverse feedback and present a new prevention plan for Washington.”
The original prevention plan led to many accomplishments for DCYF and the FFPSA implementation team including:
- Conducting a DCYF Services Needs Assessment
- Commissioning an Evidence-Based Tribal Child Welfare Prevention Programs Review with feedback from Tribal Nations in WA state
- Providing professional development training for DCYF child welfare staff through Motivational Interviewing
Event information and registration links can be found on the FFPSA Webpage.