In support of one of First Lady Melania Trump’s initiatives, US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order — Fostering the Future for American Children and Families — to expand foster care services, saying the administration believes every American child deserves a safe and loving home and is committed to supporting the wonderful families who help make that happen.
“This afternoon I am pleased to sign a historic executive order … to make America’s foster care system better, fairer and more efficient than ever before. Melania’s incredible dedication to America’s youth has made this all possible,” Trump said at a White House event.
Trump said that more than 15,000 young people age out of the foster care system each year, and unfortunately too many struggle to become self-sufficient, “The order will provide vital new resources to help young people transition out of the foster care system and live very happy and very successful lives.”
The program brings together federal entities, non-profit organizations, educational institutions and the private sector to develop these opportunities for youth support.
Meanwhile, Melania thanked Trump and said the executive order made her extremely proud.
“Special thanks to my husband for his ongoing commitment to Fostering the Future. The President has prioritized America’s children in foster care… It is both empathetic and strategic. It will certainly have an impact… I predict that this small spark will ignite a deep and lasting national movement today,” she added.
Stating that too many people in the foster care community end up homeless, in danger on America’s streets, the first lady said, “It was 2021 when I developed the idea to start a compelling platform with an important mission: to provide individuals in the foster care community with the ability to secure basic employment and in return…financial independence.
The executive order includes provisions to increase access to education and training vouchers and federal grants to support more time-limited and proven programs that promote educational success, workforce advancement, and financial literacy for young people transitioning from care.
It also ensures the expansion of educational opportunities by facilitating the state’s use of tax-funded scholarship programs to scholarship organizations for children in foster care.
The White House said the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) will also launch Fostering the Future, an initiative aimed at keeping children safe with their families and reducing unnecessary entries into foster care, while increasing the availability of foster homes for children and youth.
“ACF will also announce a new pilot program to donate discarded federal laptops to youth in foster care to help bridge the digital divide and increase access to online resources critical to a successful transition to adulthood,” the White House said.
