On December 14, 2016, CCC testified before the City Council General Welfare Committee about preventive services at the Administration for Children’s Services.  CCC also testified in support of Intro 1374-2016, a data bill related to preventive service utilization.

Preventive services are community-based services that strengthen and support families by tailoring the services to the families’ individualized needs, and by reducing and assessing safety and risk through home visits and casework contacts.  Thus, preventive services enable children to remain safely in their homes, protecting them from abuse, neglect and the need for foster care.

CCC recommendations included:

• Ensure ACS has enough capacity to serve all families in need of preventive services, particularly in light of the increased number of reports.
• Strengthen preventive services for homeless families.
• Increase the rate provided to preventive programs to more adequately fund high quality programming and staff.
• Advocate for a restoration of preventive service funding at the state level.