Sioux City Times

The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee has passed the Strengthening Evidence-Based Prevention Services Act, authored by U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra (R-Hull). The legislation aims to keep vulnerable children out of the foster care system by funding comprehensive evaluations of prevention services, enabling these programs to be certified and implemented in communities.

“Strong families are the foundation of strong communities. As a husband and father of four, it is important to me that we advance policies that strengthen families and support children, especially those in need,” said Rep. Feenstra. “That’s why I’m glad that my legislation to help keep children out of foster care and with their families passed the House Ways and Means Committee. This bill will ensure that we can quickly and efficiently evaluate foster care prevention services, verify their effectiveness, and connect families and children with tools to enhance their lives and wellbeing.”

Prevention services are programs designed to prevent children from entering foster care. In 2018, Congress passed the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), federal legislation aimed at helping states implement evidence-based programs that maintain family integrity and reduce the number of children entering foster care. However, a significant barrier to the law's success has been a lack of available research funding to support the development of qualifying evidence-based services.

The new bill would authorize a grant program through the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services. This program would fund evaluations of prevention services so they can establish ratings such as “promising,” “supported,” or “well-supported” and receive federal funding. The initiative aims to bridge the "evidence gap" currently hindering many prevention services from receiving intended federal assistance under FFPSA.

Full legislative text can be found HERE.

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