Melania Trump Urges Foster Care Program Reforms on Capitol Hill

First Lady Melania Trump visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday to urge lawmakers to update a longstanding federal program supporting foster youth, emphasizing the need for expanded resources to help those aging out of the system achieve independence. During a roundtable with members of the House Ways and Means Committee and former foster youth, Trump highlighted bipartisan legislation aimed at improving access to housing, education, and workforce training for vulnerable children and young adults.

Trump described the push for reform as a moral imperative, pointing to stark challenges faced by foster youth. Only about 3 percent of individuals from foster care earned a college degree in 2025, she noted, adding that barriers such as housing instability, financial hurdles, transportation issues, and limited access to technology hinder their academic and personal success. "We can close this gap," she said, "but still, foster youth face a special set of challenges outside the classroom that have a serious impact on their academic performance." With approximately 360,000 to 400,000 children and youth in foster care across the United States at any given time, according to federal data,...