Title IV-E Prevention Accelerator Grants

Title IV-E Prevention Accelerator Grants is sponsored by Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families - Children's Bureau. Supports state, territorial, or tribal government child welfare agencies in implementing prevention services to reduce the need for foster care.

## **Program Description** 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. Public Law 115-123 - This webpage provides the text of the Family First Prevention Services Act.

Public Law 116-94 - This webpage provides the text of the Family First Transition Act. To support implementation of the title IV-E prevention program, the Children’s Bureau issued sub-regulatory guidance in the form of Program Instructions and provided clarifications about the program requirements through Information Memoranda.

### **Program Instructions** * ACF-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.

* ACF-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.

* ACF-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 ACF-ACYF-CB-PI-18-09 issued November 30, 2018, upon publication.

* ACF-ACYF-CB-PI-24-10 - The purpose of this Program Instruction (PI) is to instruct state title IV-E agencies on the title IV-E prevention program requirements and on the flexibility such agencies may provide to tribes with whom they have agreements under section 472(a)(2)(B)(ii) of the Act. ACF-ACYF-CB-PI-24-10 supersedes ACF-ACYF-CB-PI-24-07 issued May 21, 2024, upon publication.

* ACF-ACFY-CB-24-11 - The purpose of this Program Instruction (PI) is to instruct tribal title IV-E agencies administering or supervising the administration of title IV-E under sections 479B and 471(a) of the Act on the title IV-E prevention program requirements, the exemption of tribal title IV-E agencies from the evaluation waiver and continuous quality improvement requirements, and on the flexibility title IV-E agencies may provide to tribes with whom they have agreements under section 472(a)(2)(B)(ii) of the Act.

This PI supersedesACF-ACYF-CB-PI-18-10issued November 30, 2018, upon publication. ### **Information Memoranda** * ACF-CYF-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.

* ACF-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. ### **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.

### **Dear Colleague Letters** * Dear Colleague Letter on Expanding Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Through Pharmacist State Scope-of- Practice Flexibility - The lette r encourages states to consider pharmacist scope-of-practice policies that can expand access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), particularly in rural and underserved communities.

The letter also highlights pharmacist prescribing authority as a potential strategy to improve timely access to evidence-based treatment, support recovery, strengthen families, and help prevent unnecessary foster care involvement.

* Dear Colleague Letter Regarding Title IV-E Prevention Plan Amendments - The letter is intended to guide state and tribal child welfare agencies on how to amend their Title IV-E prevention plans, offering clarification, resources, and examples to support those updates.

It emphasizes helping jurisdictions refine and strengthen their plans—often by learning from approved plans and available tools—so they can better implement prevention services aimed at keeping children safely with their families.

* Dear Colleague Letter Notifying States and Tribes They May Now Use Title IV-E Prevention Funding for FDA-approved MOUDs - This letter shares details around the announcement that three U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) have been added as prevention services eligible for funding under Title IV-E, which supports children and families involved with the child welfare system.

### Resources for States and Tribes to Amend Their Title IV-E Prevention Program Plans The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has released pre-reviewed model language that States and Tribes may use to amend their Title IV-E five-year prevention program plans and add newly approved services rated by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse.

The resource includes sample program descriptions and implementation requirements for two well-supported programs: * Acceptance and Commitment Therapy(PDF) (ACT) (Well-Supported) * Promoting First Relationships(PDF) (PFR) (Well-Supported, Re-Review) ### **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 ## **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 (ACF-ACYF-CB-PI-24-10).

The status of submitted title IV-E prevention program five-year plans may be accessed through the link below.

* Status of Submitted Title IV-E Prevention Program Five-Year Plans ### **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)