Preserving IFPS

You may have noticed the poll on the Web site of the National Family Preservation Network (NFPN). Currently, we are asking, "Is your state cutting funding for Intensive Family Preservation Services (IFPS)?" There are 5 responses indicating that IFPS is being cut, so it's timely to address how to preserve Intensive Family Preservation Services!

Preserving IFPS basically equates to education. It requires initial and ongoing education of the state governor and his staff, state child welfare administrators, program managers, and caseworkers. All of these have specific roles, such as, funding and overseeing IFPS and referring families for services.

For example, many state legislatures have adjourned for the year and the legislators are in their home districts. This is an excellent time to meet with your legislator to explain why IFPS is important, the cost-savings in comparison to out-of-home placement, and the effectiveness of IFPS. NFPN has resources to help in that regard. Begin by reading, "Is Cutting IFPS in a Budget Crisis a Good Idea?" as this document has been enlisted in the past to give to elected officials and has resulted in averting funding cuts.

One year ago NFPN released the IFPS ToolKit and it remains the most comprehensive resource available on every aspect of Intensive Family Preservation Services. The IFPS ToolKit is the featured free resource on the Web site during the next month and you may print any portion of it for distribution. Decision makers will also need to know how effective IFPS is in your state. The State of Missouri provides an annual report on their intensive in-home services. While the report has a lot of detail, it is simple to understand and thus provides a good model for the type of information that's useful to share with key people.

NFPN is close to having the research report completed on the use of IFPS with older youth. We expect the report to demonstrate that older youth and their families benefit from IFPS in much the same way as younger children and their families. This report will be critical to give to child welfare agencies searching for alternatives to youth aging out of foster care with poor outcomes for their future. Watch for the report's release in an upcoming NFPN News Notes.

Finally, if your state is considering cuts to IFPS, please contact NFPN and let us help you develop a plan to stop that from happening. Even better, let's develop a plan to strengthen and expand IFPS in your state!

Resource List:

Is cutting IFPS in a budget crisis a good idea?
http://nfpn.org/articles-mainmenu-34/25-is-cutting-ifps-in-a-budget-crisis-a-good-idea.html

IFPS ToolKit
http://nfpn.org/preservation/ifps-toolkit

Missouri IIS Report
http://nfpn.org/preservation/missouri-iis-report

Contact NFPN
E-mail: director@nfpn.org

Priscilla Martens, Exec. Dir.
National Family Preservation Network
director@nfpn.org | 888-498-9047