Strengthening Families Through Prevention Services
Child welfare systems across the country share a common goal: keeping children safe and families together. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through prevention programs—services that help families access support before crises occur. By investing in prevention and focusing on proactive, family-centered care, child welfare agencies and their partners can reduce foster care entries, improve long-term outcomes, and build stronger community partnerships.
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Yet despite being enacted in 2018, FFPSA has proven challenging to implement. Many jurisdictions still struggle to maximize available funding and select and implement eligible practices. Meeting FFPSA requirements demands strategic planning, collaboration, and systems change (Carmody, 2024). States often must strengthen their infrastructure and resources to fully realize FFPSA’s potential.
That’s where JBS comes in.
Our child welfare and data analytics experts partner with states and communities to translate FFPSA priorities into real-world outcomes. We help assess strengths and needs; identify evidence-based, actionable strategies; and implement customized plans that remove burdens and drive measurable results.
Data analysis and community and systems insight form the heart of our work. We partner with jurisdictions to identify populations most at risk of foster care entry and track outcomes to measure change. We examine national data and trends to inform planning. Our collaborations incorporate insight from those who have experience with the child welfare system to ensure our support is impactful. This approach allows us to select interventions tailored to states’ needs and deliver them quickly while building capacity for fidelity, quality monitoring, and continuous learning and improvement.
Collaboration Is the Key
At JBS, we know that behind every statistic is a child, a family, and an opportunity to intervene before crisis strikes. In our view, data is a roadmap that, when carefully followed, can lead to better decisions and outcomes. We also believe prevention efforts work best when they’re developed with jurisdictions—not just for them. Jurisdictions know their communities and systems best, and we encourage them to incorporate input from individuals who will receive or be affected by their services.
FFPSA isn’t just a requirement—it’s a catalyst for transformation and an opportunity to create systems that truly support family well-being. Together, we can move policy to practice and create systems that help children and families thrive.
References
Carmody, C. (2024). Evidence-based practice criteria’s effect on the implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act in Nebraska and Colorado. Evaluation and Program Planning, 104.