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On February 9th, 2018, the Family First Act (FFA) was signed into law. This February, we celebrate FIVE YEARS of the FFA serving youth across the country.
As we celebrate the five year anniversary of the Family Fisrt Act, FosterClub looks back at how hundreds of Lived Experience Leaders (LEx) came together to promote and support the passing of the Family First Act. Without LEx sharing their stories and experiences, passing the FFA into law would not have been possible. We thank LEx for their advocacy and commitment to creating a better child welfare system for ALL youth in care.
What is the Family First Act?
The Family First Act is a piece of legislation that put funding towards:
Prevention Services
Supporting kinship (relative) caregivers
Improving services to older youth
The Family First Act also established requirements for placing youth in residential treatment facilitites and improving the quality and oversight of services.
How did LEx help pass the Family First Act?
From the bill's first introduction in 2016 to its historic passing in 2018, LEx used their voices to tell Congress why the FFA mattered and why it needed to be passed now. Here are some of the ways LEx used their voices to help pass the FFA:
LEx wrote Op-Eds to raise awareness about the FFA
LEx signed FosterClub's sign on letter for the FFA, which was shared with Congress, to show they supported the bill
Read what LEx wrote here
LEx joined FosterClub on Capitol Hill to ask Congress to pass the FFA
After the passing of the FFA, LEx met with the bill's co-sponsor, Senator Ron Wyden, to share their gratitude for Senator Wyden's work on the FFA
Read more about this meeting here
Want to learn more about the FFA and/or LEx involvement with it? Check out these resources: