Title IV-E Prevention Program

The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), enacted as part of Public Law (P.L.) 115—123, authorized new optional title IV-E funding for time-limited prevention services for mental health, substance abuse, and in-home parent skill-based programs for children or youth who are candidates for foster care, pregnant or parenting youth in foster care, and the parents or kin caregivers of those children and youth.

Legislation

- This webpage provides the text of the Family First Prevention Services Act.

- This webpage provides the text of the Family First Transition Act.

Federal Guidance

To support implementation of the title IV-E prevention program, the Children’s Bureau issued subregulatory guidance in the form of Program Instructions and provided clarifications about the program requirements through Information Memoranda.

Program Instructions

• ACYF-CB-PI-18-07 - Among other things, this Program Instruction clarifies that if a title IV-E agency requests a delayed effective date for certain provisions of the Social Security Act (471(a)(37), 472(k), 472(c), 475A(c)), the effective date for claiming for title IV-E prevention services is also delayed for the same period of time.
• ACYF-CB-PI-18-10 - This Program Instruction provides instructions to tribal title IV-E agencies administering or supervising the administration of title IV-E under sections 479B and 471(a) of the Social Security Act on the title IV-E prevention program requirements.
• ACYF-CB-PI-24-07 - This Program Instruction provides instructions on the requirements state title IV-E agencies must meet when electing the title IV-E prevention program. ACF-ACYF-CB-PI-24-07 supersedes ACYF-CB-PI-18-09 issued November 30, 2018, upon publication.

Information Memoranda

• ACYF-CB-IM-18-02 - This Information Memorandum informs states and tribes of the enactment of FFPSA and provides basic information on the new law, including the title IV-E prevention program.
• ACYF-CB-IM-19-04 - This Information Memorandum provides an Evaluation Plan Development Tip Sheet, which may assist states in meeting the requirements of the title IV-E Prevention Services program.
• ACYF-CB-IM-21-04 - This Information Memorandum clarifies how allowable adaptations to evidence based programs and services that have been rated by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse can be used to provide flexibility for tribal communities under state title IV-E prevention programs, and to encourage state IV-E agencies to identify with tribes which services will be most helpful and to work with tribes to make allowable adaptations to services that will be responsive to tribal culture.

Technical Bulletins

• Revised Technical Bulletin #1 - Title IV-E Prevention Program Data Elements - This technical bulletin is a revision to the Technical Bulletin #1 that was originally published on August 19, 2019. This revised Technical Bulletin #1 provides additional information regarding the file structure for the data elements to be submitted by IV-E agencies for each child who received IV-E prevention services, as required by FFPSA.
• Technical Bulletin #2 - Title IV-E Prevention Program Data Submission Timelines - This technical bulletin provides information for title IV-E agencies on the title IV-E prevention program data collection timelines the Children’s Bureau (CB) will use to manage data submission.

Child Welfare Policy Manual

The Child Welfare Policy Manual contains policy questions and answers applicable to child welfare programs operated by the Children's Bureau. The manual addresses nine main policy areas (with detailed subsections). Section 8.6 of the Child Welfare Policy Manual provides questions and answers (Q/As) regarding the title IV-E prevention program.

Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse

The Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse website was established by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct an independent systematic review of research on programs and services intended to provide enhanced support to children and families and prevent foster care placements. The Clearinghouse, developed in accordance with FFPSA, rates programs and services as well-supported, supported, promising, and does not currently meet criteria. Relevant practices include mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services and in-home parent skill-based programs, as well as kinship navigator services.

• Access the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse Handbook of Standards and Procedures;
• Find responses to Frequently Asked Questions;
• Navigate through specific programs and services that have been reviewed and rate;
• Get information about specific studies reviewed, their eligibility, their design and execution rating, and findings from contrasts in those studies that met design and execution standards;
• Learn about the next programs and services planned for systemic review;
• Access relevant resources including reporting guides, webinars, and fact sheets; and
• Subscribe to the email list to be notified when new information and updates are available.

Federal Register Notices and Letters

• Decisions Related to the Development of a Clearinghouse of Evidence-Based Practices in Accordance with the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 - On June 22, 2018, ACF solicited comments through a Federal Register Notice (83 FR 29122) on the initial criteria and potential candidate programs and services for review in a Clearinghouse of evidence-based practices in accordance with the FFPSA.
• Letter to Update Child Welfare Directors on the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse - This letter provides an update to states on the progress made in implementing the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse, as authorized by FFPSA, and outlines estimated dates for additional guidance.
• Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse Handbook of Standards and Procedures - On July 15, 2021, ACF solicited comments through a Federal Register Notice (86 FR 37332) on the current standards and procedures. ACF especially welcomed comments on how the standards and procedures might be revised to better reflect the goals and requirements of the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government .
  

Title IV-E Prevention Program Five-Year Plan

Title IV-E agencies that elect to provide the title IV-E prevention program must submit a five-year plan for their title IV-E prevention program to the Children’s Bureau for review and approval (ACYF-CB-PI-18-09). The status of submitted title IV-E prevention program five-year plans may be accessed through the link below.

Resources

The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) authorized new optional title IV-E funding for certain time-limited prevention services through creation of the title IV-E prevention program.

This letter from the Children’s Bureau notifies child welfare leaders that agencies, under applicable circumstances, can make virtual adaptations to programs and services provided through the title IV-E prevention program due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Dear Colleague Letter on the 5th Year of the Family First Prevention and Treatment Act
  • This letter includes resources to aid jurisdictions as they develop their plans, including links to prevention plans that have been approved, sample program plans, resources for tribes, and responses to policy questions.

  Data Submission Webinars

  On November 1, 2022 the Children’s Bureau hosted a webinar on Title IV-E Program Data Submission which included a review of the data quality rules, provided clarity on some of the data elements, and reviewed the commonly observed errors in the first submission. The Webinar and Presentation slides may be accessed through the links below.

  • Webinar: Title IV-E Prevention Program Data Submission Fall 2022
  • Webinar: Title IV-E Prevention Program Data Submission Fall 2022 Presentation Slides (PDF)

  On February 3, 2022 the Children’s Bureau hosted a webinar on Title IV-E Program Data Submission which demonstrated using the National Child Welfare Data Management System (NCWDMS). The Webinar and Presentation slides may be accessed through the links below.

  • Webinar: Title IV-E Prevention Program Data Submission Spring 2022
  • Webinar: Title IV-E Prevention Program Data Submission Spring 2022 Presentation Slides (PDF)

  On September 20, 2021 the Children’s Bureau hosted a webinar on Title IV-E Program Data Submission. The Webinar and Presentation slides may be accessed through the links below.

  • Webinar: The FFPSA Title IV-E Prevention Program Data Submission
  • Webinar: The FFPSA Title IV-E Prevention Program Data Submission Presentation Slides (PDF)

  On March 9, 2020, the Children’s Bureau hosted a webinar to provide an update on the implementation of the title IV-E prevention program and to assist title IV-E agencies and their partners developing prevention plans in their jurisdictions. The webinar and presentation slides may be accessed through the links below.

  • Webinar: The FFPSA Title IV-E Prevention Program Implementation Updates
  • Webinar: The FFPSA Title IV-E Prevention Program Updates Presentation Slides (PDF)