North Carolina is involved in child welfare transformation efforts inclusive of Rylan’s Law (2017) and the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) (2018) which requires significant shifts in fiscal, administrative and programmatic functions in Child Welfare services.  The creation of the regional support model and regional directors will offer additional support to the local county agencies. Regional Prevention Specialists will specifically provide support to counties as North Carolina fully implements FFPSA. 

North Carolina FFPSA Implementation 

 North Carolina began planning for FFPSA implementation in 2019. This involved the engagement of many stakeholders as the state determined which services to include in North Carolina’s Federally required Title IV-E Prevention Plan, to address the primary reasons why children across the state enter foster care.  

 North Carolina’s Title IV-E Prevention Services Plan was approved by the Children’s Bureau (CB) in August 2022. The plan called for a phased roll-out of evidenced-based programs for candidates of foster care, beginning with HOMEBUILDERS® which was rated “well-supported” by the Title IV-E Preventions Series Clearinghouse.  The HOMEBUILDERS® provider for Social Services Regions One, Two, and Four is Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, for Region Three, Crossnore Communities for Children, and Regions Five, Six, and Seven, Coastal Horizons Center. 

Homebuilders  

North Carolina is contracted with the Institute for Family Development (IFD) for HOMEBUILDERS® training, implementation support and coaching. HOMEBUILDERS® provides intensive, in-home family preservation service, for families who have children at imminent risk of placement in out-of-home care.  

 The HOMEBUILDERS® program accepts only families referred by county child welfare staff, in which one or more children are in imminent risk of being placed in foster, group, or institutional care. Since 1974, HOMEBUILDERS® has provided services to more than 15,000 families. The most recent data show that 6 months after termination of services, 86% of children have avoided placement in out-of-home care, such as foster care, group care or psychiatric institutions, and remained safely in their homes. Pre-post measures within the family show a substantial reduction in risk across a variety of factors. 

 To learn more about Homebuilders and their standards, visit their website here. You can also view their rating with the Title IV-E Prevention Series Clearinghouse here.

North Carolina FFPSA Staff 

Heather McAllister, Section Chief for Child and Family Services

Kristy Smith, Region 1 Child Welfare Prevention Services Specialist

Larissa Berger, Region 2 Child Welfare Prevention Services Specialist 

Nikki Hull, Region 3 Child Welfare Prevention Services Specialist  

Laura Wasson, Region 4 Child Welfare Prevention Services Specialist 

Tonya Askew, Region 5 Child Welfare Prevention Services Specialist 

Jiselle Hirsch, Region 6 Child Welfare Prevention Services Specialist 

Nikki Hull, Region 7 Child Welfare Prevention Services Specialist  
 

To view the North Carolina Child Welfare Services Regional Map, click here.