Preventing problems is at the heart of Ron's Family First legislation
Ron held roundtables recently with parents and providers at relief nurseries in Bend, Salem and Springfield about how their work in Oregon to keep children safe and families intact inspired his Family First Prevention Services Act.
“In writing this legislation, we said this is exactly the kind of thing the federal government ought to be doing and it’s right in our backyard,” Ron said in Springfield.
Ron’s bipartisan legislation with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and fellow Finance Committee members Chuck Grassley and Michael Bennett is the companion bill to legislation that’s already passed the House.
The bill aims to keep more children safely in their homes and reduce over-reliance on group foster care homes, objectives also targeted by the relief nurseries Ron toured in Oregon.
“The legislation shares a common goal with relief nurseries -- our job is not done until every single child in Oregon lives in a safe environment,” Ron said in Bend. “What we want to do is prevent problems in the first place. That is the heart of the Family First legislation.”
At each of the three visits, Ron heard from parents and grandparents grateful for the family services provided by relief nurseries such as treatment for substance abuse, mental health and other needs.
He praised those parents and grandparents for their commitment, and the relief nurseries for providing the standard of excellence used in the Family First legislation.
“You are the model for the federal bill I have proposed,” he said in Salem. “Relief nurseries are the gold standard.”
