Update - Announcement: Family First Prevention Services State Plan Submission

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. The Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) is pleased to announce the finalization and submission of Maine's Family First Prevention Services State Plan to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) on February 1, 2021.  This state plan is one of the many requirements of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) that was signed into law as part of the Federal Bipartisan Budget Act on February 9, 2018.  The FFPSA aims to improve child welfare practice across the nation resulting in the prevention of children entering foster care when it is safe to do so and improving the wellbeing of children already in foster care by reducing placement of children in group care settings and enhancing quality of care for residential treatment programs.   The FFPSA provides Maine with an opportunity to leverage federal funding to address the rise of children entering foster care by expanding and enhancing prevention services aimed at maintaining children safely in the home. Through state and community partnerships, Maine has developed a comprehensive State Prevention Plan that includes the expansion of existing and establishment of new prevention services while increasing the knowledge of other services available to families in Maine.  Leveraging Title IV-E funding, state funds, other federal grant opportunities, and statewide partnerships coupled with existing Children's Behavioral Health Services and Child Welfare strategic priorities, Maine's plan for implementing the FFPSA will guide the way to increased access and availability of services for families in Maine to support families and prevent the need for out of home placement.   The submission of Maine's State Prevention Plan is the first step of many in making impactful changes to support families across Maine.  Pending ACF approval, OCFS will continue to work towards an implementation date of October 1, 2021.   Thank you to all of our staff, stakeholders, and community partners in helping OCFS to develop a comprehensive plan to support families while keeping children safe in their home.   Maine's Family First Prevention State Plan can be found here on the Family First OCFS Website.     Christine Theriault, LMSW Family First Prevention Services Program Manager Office of Child and Family Services Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by Maine Department of Health & Human Services. This email was sent to ooseims.archieves@blogger.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Maine Department of Health & Human Services · 109 Capitol St · Augusta, ME 04333