The Family First Act underscores the importance of children growing up in families and seeks to avoid the traumatic experience of children being separated from their families and entering foster care. Specifically, funding is available for trauma informed, evidence-based, foster care prevention services within the following categories:

• Mental Health Prevention and Treatment Services
• Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Services
• In-Home Parent Skill-Based Programs

Family First aims to improve the well-being of children already in foster care by incentivizing states to reduce placement of children in non-family based placements, and instead place children in the least restrictive, most family-like setting appropriate to their individual needs.