During her husband’s tenure as President of the United States, First Lady Melania Trump has consistently championed a pro-family agenda. Last week, her hard work came to fruition in the West Wing when President Trump signed her Executive Order on Fostering the Future for American Children and Families.
On November 13, 2025, the First Lady shared her vision for foster families and children before her husband signed the order:
Too many people from the foster care community end up homeless, in danger on America’s streets. 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.
With the order signed, the Trump Administration will work to achieve three outcomes:
- The order will support foster youth in achieving higher education, entry-level job opportunities, and paths to financial self-sufficiency upon turning eighteen years old. Fostering the Future, housed under the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), will facilitate these opportunities through partnerships with private sector industries, non-profits, and universities across the country. The program will be available to all foster children via a personalized online portal.
- The order will empower people, families, and communities of faith to participate in the foster care system. With the support of the White House Faith Office, HHS will “take appropriate action to address State and local policies and practices that inappropriately prohibit participation in federally-funded child-welfare programs by qualified individuals or organizations based upon their sincerely-held religious beliefs or moral convictions” and work to increase collaboration with people of faith in the foster care system.
- Finally, the order will modernize the child welfare system. HHS will streamline practices for state-level child welfare data collection, increase data transparency, provide states with AI tools and predictive analytical tools to enhance caregiving and child matching technologies, identify practices that reduce unnecessary foster placements and instances of child abuse within the foster care system, and bolster accountability through annual scorecards available to the public.
The First Lady’s Foster the Future places power where it should be—with families, private industries, communities, and charitable people of faith—and empowers young adults graduating from the foster care system with the tools to build a successful, self-sufficient, independent life beyond foster care.
The order also addresses the discrimination against Christian families within the foster care system. By identifying and correcting states that “inappropriately prohibit” qualified families and organizations with “sincerely held religious convictions” from participating in state foster care systems, the order will rid states like Massachusetts of anti-Christian bias.
This year, Massachusetts revoked licensure from former foster parents Lydia and Heath Marvin when they refused to sign the state’s “LGBTQIA+ Non-discrimination Policy.” The Marvins, who were convicted by their Christian faith to “care for the fatherless,” fostered eight young children and planned to continue fostering until Massachusetts revoked their license.
The Marvins, with other families, have since filed a lawsuit against Massachusetts with Alliance Defending Freedom. The White House followed up with a letter condemning the state for revoking the Marvins’ foster license due to their faith-based convictions.
Families like the Marvins, the children they foster, and young adults transitioning out of foster care will benefit from the Executive Order on Fostering the Future for American Children and Families. Concerned Women for America applauds First Lady Melania Trump for her steadfast vision and diligent work on behalf of foster children, their families, and people of faith.
