Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today joined a bipartisan group of senators to support the Family First Transition Act (S. 2777), a bill to help states update their child welfare systems in an effort to keep more children with their families and out of foster care.

            “Many counties in California already provide child welfare services that go well beyond the federal standard,” said Senator Feinstein. “This bill will allow those counties to continue providing this care by granting short-term funding while they adapt to new federal requirements to help keep children with their families rather than be removed and sent to foster homes.”

            Text of the bill is available here.

            Key provisions in the bill:

• Guarantees that states operating under the previous child welfare funding formula will not face financial shortfalls as they transition to the new child welfare services law.

• Provides one-time funding to all states to help implement the new law.

• Phases in the new child welfare services funding formula so that states and counties have more time to adjust their current services to new federal requirements.