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My small pilot Family Preservation Mediation project with Plummer Youth Promise got recognized in an editorial in the Boston Globe. We will continue with the pilot and test new types of referrals and how we help people succeed in protecting their children, preventing the trauma of removal, while working with the Dept. of Children and Families. Boston Globe Editorial: 4-22-24 KEEPING KIDS OUT OF FOSTER CARE SAVES FAMILIES – AND STATE MONEY Programs that stabilize families as soon as DCF gets involved can head off traumatic, expensive removals. There are lots of good ways to spend money to help families and children. Rarer are policies that help families while saving money. Yet that is the likely outcome when programs intervene early to stabilize families involved with the Department of Children and Families and prevent children’s removal. When families can safely remain together, it saves children and parents anguish while avoiding costly foster care placements and court cases. For the past couple of years, funding from the courts and the state has supported pilot programs where lawyers, social workers, parent advocates, and mediators intervene with families when a DCF case is opened. While more study of these programs’ outcomes is needed, early evidence is promising, and similar models are being expanded nationwide. Massachusetts should ensure there is stable funding for these programs and that they are given the resources needed to expand. The investment will pay off in dollars and, more importantly, in children’s lives.  ... Another Massachusetts program being tested is pre-removal mediation. DCF refers families at risk of losing custody to the nonprofit Plummer Youth Promise. A trained mediator contacts the family and within a week pulls together the family, DCF, and other relevant people, like a school counselor, doctor, or relatives. They hold a mediation session with the goal of resolving safety concerns and keeping a child at home or developing a plan for their care. For example, if a parent’s substance use disorder leads them to neglect their child, a mediator might help craft a plan where the parent enters inpatient treatment while a grandparent watches the child. ... The challenge is finding sustainable funding. In Massachusetts, Plummer’s program is tiny, with two mediators total, one in Springfield and one in Worcester, who have mediated about 40 cases since September 2021. Funding comes from a contract DCF has with Plummer for other services. ... As lawmakers consider next year’s state budget, it is worth examining what pots of money — state or federal, public or private — can be used to continue and expand these programs. Spending money up front to keep children safe at home will pay off in long-term savings for the state and better outcomes for families. Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us @GlobeOpinion. Globe Opinion