In our latest webinar, Kirsten Anderson, Executive Director of AspireMN , made the complex Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) comprehensible. Fundamentally, FFPSA redirects federal Title IV-E funding from deep end to preventive services.
The Casey Family Programs foundation helped design and pass this Act. Among other problems, it defunds residential treatment centers, which are the only workable option for some children. It also assumes that abusive parents will accept preventive interventions, but the uptake of these services in other voluntary child protection programs has been quite low. In addition, the federal clearinghouse that determines eligibility for FFPSA funding is only approving evidence-based services, which rules out culturally specific programs.
Despite these issues Casey has lobbied against fine-tuning the FFPSA, thereby reinforcing its reputation as an institution that is removed from operating realities and unconcerned about any problems it creates.
Listen to this week’s blog post, including in-depth commentary and analysis, in this week’s podcast.