Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) established
requirements to promote placement prevention services and limit the number of children/youth placed in child care institutions (congregate care). The new requirements for placing agencies are meant to ensure that children/youth receive the treatment and services they need within their family, a family foster care setting or in their community and only when that is not possible they are placed in a child care institution. If these new requirements are not met, county and tribal social service agencies will no longer receive federal Title IV-E reimbursement for out-of-home placement costs in these facilities. Existing child care institutions will be required to become certified as a qualified residential treatment program (QRTP). The requirements are effective Sept. 30, 2021 and apply to child care institutions (children’s residential treatment, group homes, and foster care residences/corporate foster homes).
Webinars and written guidance
for FFPSA will run through September. These webinars will contain policy related information as well as data entry components in SSIS. In addition to the policy related webinars, the SSIS Training and SSIS Business Operations teams will be presenting coffee talks focusing on navigating SSIS changes due to the FFPSA. SSIS coffee talks will follow most policy webinars and cover the topic of the day.
Registration is required. The webinars will be recorded and posted at a later time for those who were not able to attend the live presentations.