08/31/2016

Support U.S. Senate Action on Family First Prevention Services Act

URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Please support Family First Prevention Services Act THIS WEEK!

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) are committed to passing the Family First Prevention Services Act (H.R. 5456), but strong support is needed at the national and state level to ensure H.R. 5456 is prioritized in the Senate and receives a floor vote when legislators return to Washington in September!

Background:

The Senate left for summer recess without passing the Family First Prevention Services Act (H.R. 5456), a bicameral, bipartisan bill that would strengthen federal child welfare law to better protect vulnerable children and families. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 5456 with strong bipartisan support on June 21. The bill takes historic steps to ensure more children can stay safely with family and out of foster care by allowing federal child welfare dollars to be used on quality prevention services and programs. It also: encourages the placement of children in foster care in the least restrictive most family-like settings appropriate to their needs with special attention to those needing specialized treatment; addresses the special needs of pregnant and parenting teens; reauthorizes a number of expiring Title IV-B and Title IV-E program provisions; offers supports to help older youth transitioning from foster care to adulthood; improves the interstate placement of children; improves Regional Partnership Grants to help families affected by substance abuse; and continues to recognize and increase supports for grandparents and other relatives who step in to care for children when their parents cannot.

Call to Action:

There are two ways you can help move this important bill forward:

  • Add your organization onto the sign-on letter in support of H.R. 5456: Over 130 national, state and local organizations joined the sign-on letter in support of H.R. 5456 that was submitted to the Senate on July 12, and we are looking to continue growing the list of supporters. Please consider adding your organization on the Senate sign-on letter that urges Senate Leadership to bring H.R. 5456 to a vote when the Senate returns in September. It is important that signatories of the letter represent a wide range of organizations in all fifty states, so please share this with your networks. Please click here to view the letter and click here to add your organization. Deadline for the sign-on is Friday, September 9.

Every child deserves to grow up in a safe and loving family. The Family First Prevention Services Act is a critically important step toward this goal for hundreds of thousands of our most vulnerable children and families. Children and families cannot wait any longer for these important changes and the time to act is NOW!

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