Earlier this month, our colleagues at California Youth Connection (CYC) submitted a letter to Senator Barbara Boxer, who has placed a hold on the Family First Prevention Services Act (S. 3065/H.R. 5456).

We at FosterClub admire the work of CYC, but we think they have it wrong on the Family First Act. Below, we provide a response to CYC’s rationale for not supporting Family First.

This document is long, but federal child welfare policy and the Family First Act are complicated. We think it’s worth taking the time to fundamentally understand what’s at stake. This is particularly important for California young leaders because currently Senator Boxer of California is one of only three Senators currently holding Family First from moving forward.

Once you review this document, if you would like more information about how the Family First Act would benefit youth affected by foster care, check out a recording of our webinar (https://www.fosterclub.com/article/sign-support-family-first-prevention-services-act).