First Lady Melania Trump outlines federal plan to widen pathways for foster youth

A new executive order links federal agencies and partners to expand education, work and financial pathways for young people leaving foster care.

Photo credit: The White House

First Lady Melania Trump has overseen a new executive order, “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families,” bringing federal departments and outside partners into a coordinated effort to support young people with experience of foster care.

The initiative sits under her Fostering the Future program, part of the Be Best platform, which offers technology-based scholarships to help students in the foster care community secure entry-level roles and move toward financial independence.

The order sets out several strands of work: a national pledge for public and private partners to commit to new education and employment pathways, an online planning hub for current and former foster youth, and changes to federal support so that more time-limited and credentialed programs can be funded.

It also encourages states to make wider use of scholarship schemes funded by tax-credited donations for children in foster care.

At a White House event, Trump underlined the scale of the challenge, saying, “Too many people from the foster care community end up homeless, in danger on America’s streets.”

Federal agencies outline their roles

Several federal bodies are named as early partners. The Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Children and Families, is expected to implement the order’s directives and launch a linked initiative aimed at keeping children safely with their families, reducing unnecessary entries into foster care, and increasing the availability of foster homes. ACF will also introduce a pilot to donate decommissioned federal laptops to young people in foster care, with the aim of improving access to online learning and services.

The Department of the Treasury and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will host roundtables across the country to hear directly from youth transitioning out of care about barriers to financial literacy and long-term stability. Findings from these sessions are due in spring 2026 and are expected to inform future policies and programs focused on building a “strong financial literacy foundation” during the transition period.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is adding a dedicated route into federal employment by using the Pathways Programs hiring authority. OPM plans to create internships and early-career roles for people who have been in foster care, along with a tailored applicant portal, speaker series and professional development activities. The aim is to provide hands-on experience of government and build skills and networks for public service careers.

Alongside federal partners, the order invites private-sector and nonprofit organizations to sign a Fostering the Future Pledge, committing to expand access to mentorships, scholarships, technology and workforce training. The detail of those commitments, including scale and timelines, will depend on how many organizations sign on and how quickly pledges translate into funded opportunities.

Scholarships and long-term aims of Fostering the Future

The Fostering the Future program itself was established in 2021 to provide college and university scholarships for individuals in the foster care community. Participating institutions include Vanderbilt University, the University of Miami, Villanova University, Florida International University and Oral Roberts University. The model is built around technology-based scholarships that are intended to prepare recipients for entry-level roles and, over time, more senior positions.

Trump linked the new order directly to that mission, saying, “It was 2021 when I developed the idea to establish an impactful platform with an important mission: to provide individuals from the foster care community the ability to secure an entry-level job position, and in turn… financial independence.”

She also sets out a longer-term vision for the young people supported through the program, adding, “Following graduation, scholarship recipients from my program are prepared to enter the workforce, and, ultimately, become leading executives. Predictably, they will manage thousands of employees and generate significant value for American communities—through job creation, access to healthcare, food security, and other societal benefits.”

The ETIH Innovation Awards 2026

The EdTech Innovation Hub Awards celebrate excellence in global education technology, with a particular focus on workforce development, AI integration, and innovative learning solutions across all stages of education.

Now open for entries, the ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 recognize the companies, platforms, and individuals driving transformation in the sector, from AI-driven assessment tools and personalized learning systems, to upskilling solutions and digital platforms that connect learners with real-world outcomes.

Submissions are open to organizations across the UK, the Americas, and internationally. Entries should highlight measurable impact, whether in K–12 classrooms, higher education institutions, or lifelong learning settings.