The Court Improvement Program of the Louisiana Supreme Court and Pelican Center for Children and Families is pleased to introduce the Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTPs) Louisiana Judicial Toolkit. QRTPs are a key component of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) which became law in 2018. FFPSA emphasizes the importance of placing children with family members or in foster homes rather than congregate care settings and allows restricted use of QRTPs when necessary to achieve permanency and meet the child and family’s needs if eligibility requirements are met. Judicial review and approval for QRTP placement begins on October 1, 2021.
The Toolkit explains the level of care settings available for children in State custody; QRTP requirements, timelines, and family engagement; court review processes, standards, and findings that must be met for QRTP placement; and how the required QRTP reviews and rulings fit into the existing court structure and statutory framework of Louisiana’s child welfare system.
If you have any questions about the Toolkit, please do not hesitate to reach out to: Mark.harris@pelicancenter.org.