The Family First Readiness Initiative
Catalyzing system reform with NY counties
The timeline of the Redlich Horwitz Foundation's New York State Family First Readiness effort
June 2020: RHF announces launches new county Family First newsletter
RHF releases a new Family First monthly newsletter—just for local districts! The newsletter features upcoming learning series, important policy updates and other implementation support.
You can subscribe here
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May 2020: Consultants launch regional learning collaboratives
The team launches four Family First Readiness regional learning collaboratives to enable peer-to-peer learning and support for county leaders.
April 2020: RHF releases COVID-19 resource guide
RHF releases a new, easy-to-use desktop guide for child welfare staff and families that shares resources, policies, and, guidance for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 2020: RHF invites 18 NY counties to continue readiness efforts
RHF awards grants to 18 counties to continue their Family First Readiness work in 2020. This year’s effort will include the launch of regional learning collaboratives to enable county staff to learn together with their peers as they implement their Family First strategies.
January 2020: RHF releases one-pager
RHF released a new one-pager that provides an overview of the Family First Readiness initiative and its success to date.
December 4 2019: Family First Readiness Strategy Sessions
RHF and OCFS reconvene the Family First Readiness counties to discuss concrete strategies for improving placement practice and increasing youth and family supports.
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PPT presentations/materials from the three Strategy Sessions
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Newsletter about the Permanency Summit and December 4th Strategy Sessions
October 2019: Consultants begin making site visits to counties
Counties continue working with their consultants, selecting Family First Readiness strategies to implement. At the conclusion of this effort, each county will have a two-year, high-level work plan to guide its strategy implementation.
August 2019: Counties begin working with their consultants
The RHF consulting team uses resources and best practices developed in Onondaga, Dutchess and Westchester with their counties and begins the work of analyzing data, identifying opportunities and developing strategies.
Placement Process and Kinship Practice Tools
July 24, 2019: RHF releases guide to using Transition Fund allocations
RHF releases a guide that provides recommendations for how counties may choose to spend their transition funds to meet the goals of the Family First Transition Fund.
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Six Strategies to Achieve Sustainable Change with Family First Transition Funds (PDF)
July 23 & 24, 2019: Counties attend Family First Readiness Kick-Off Convening
RHF, OCFS, Casey Family Programs, and Annie. E. Casey Foundation hosts a kick-off convening for the 19 counties participating in the Family First Readiness effort.
• Newsletter announcing the kick-off
• Egnyte drive featuring resources from the convening
• Consulting support roadmap
July 1, 2019: RHF announces Family First Readiness Initiative
RHF announces its new Family First Readiness initiative, designed to provide up to 27 counties with an individualized consultation and other grant-making support to help them prepare their systems for Family First implementation. Counties begin working with their consultants to develop strategies for decreasing their use of congregate care and increasing their use of certified kinship and family-based foster care.
April 15, 2019: RHF hires Jessie Rothkuo to lead Family First Readiness effort
Redlich Horwitz Foundation hires a full-time staff member to focus exclusively on working with counties of the state of New York around the Family First Prevention Services Act.
#GOALS
Decrease congregate care:
12%
Increase certified kinship care:
30%
April 12, 2019: NYS passes Family First Transition Fund
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signs legislation to establish the Family First Transition Fund, a public-private partnership with RHF, to provide $3 million in state funding and $400k in private funding to help local districts of social services meet the State’s Family First Readiness goals.
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Family First Transition Fund Included in FY 2020 Final Budget (press release)
March 2019: RHF releases video featuring NY leaders
RHF releases a video featuring state leaders who are guiding family-focused change in their jurisdictions.
February 1, 2019: New York State delays Family First implementation
New York State elects to delay its implementation of Family First until September 29, 2021. This will give the state time to adequately plan and ready the system for thoughtful implementation.
October 2018: Publication released that illustrates successful strategies in NY counties
RHF publishes case studies from Onondaga, Dutchess and Westchester counties documenting their multi-year efforts with RHF support to reduce unnecessary congregate care and increase kinship foster care.
April 2018: RHF releases an in-brief on Family First
RHF releases an issue brief about the promise Family First holds for New York providers and counties to help them increase the use of family-based care. (PDF)
February 9, 2018: Passage of the Family First Prevention Services Act
Congress enacts the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) as part of the federal Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123). The law introduces new programmatic and fiscal reforms that restrict the use of institutional settings for foster care and encourage the use of high-quality preventive services to keep families safely together when possible. The law also creates new requirements for family and court involvement in foster care decisions.