ACF To Provide Matching Funds In Fight Against Opioid Disorder

States should be aware that they can now receive federal matching assistance in their efforts to treat opioid use disorder.

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families has added three Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for opioid use disorder – buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone – as prevention services eligible for funding under Title IV-E, which supports children and families in the child welfare system.

States, as well as tribal governments and U.S. territories, can now receive a 50% federal match to provide these medications to parents when children are at imminent risk of entering foster care but can remain safely in the home or in a kinship placement with access to these treatments.

ACF officials stated that these medications meet the evidence standard in the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse, and the agency has developed a new fast-track evidence review procedure that enables it to use FDA’s rigorous approval and post-market surveillance to accelerate clearance without compromising safety standards.

ACF officials state that the three FDA-approved medications are well-established, evidence-based tools that support recovery, promote family stability and reduce risk factors associated with child welfare system involvement. “We are cutting through the red tape that has kept effective opioid use disorder treatment out of reach for too many families,” said Assistant Secretary for Family Support Alex J. Adams. “By fast-tracking these proven treatments, we are investing in effective prevention to give states powerful new tools to help keep families safely together."

To support rapid implementation, interested states, tribes and territories can access sample program language and requirements through ACF's Children's Bureau. Technical assistance is also available through the National Child Welfare Center on Innovation and Advancement and the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare.

State, tribes and territories need all the resources they can get to address the fight against opioid use, and such federal assistance will be truly welcome.

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