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Chairman Smith Applauds First Lady Melania Trump’s Leadership and Ways & Means Committee’s Bipartisan Efforts to Improve Outcomes for Foster Youth

April 15, 2026

A bipartisan gathering of the Ways and Means Committee hosted First Lady Melania Trump and foster youth for a roundtable discussion on modernizing the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, a bipartisan roundtable with members of the Ways and Means Committee hosted First Lady Melania Trump and foster youth leaders for a discussion on modernizing the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (“Chafee”) to improve outcomes for current and former foster youth who are transitioning to adulthood and independence. Through hearings, feedback provided by stakeholders, and, most recently, the introduction of legislation, the Committee has been engaged in a concerted effort to improve state utilization of Chafee funds, strengthen coordination between child welfare and federal housing programs, expand access to education and workforce training opportunities, improve support for foster youth who are parents or soon-to-be parents, expand access to legal services, and modernize the purposes of the Chafee program.

The Committee’s efforts align with many of the goals of the Trump Administration’s Fostering the Future Executive Order. The bipartisan discussion provided an opportunity to bring Committee members together with Mrs. Trump and lived-experience leaders to discuss how to continue building momentum toward reform.

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) issued the following statement:

“I am truly grateful to First Lady Melania Trump for being an inspiring force in the world on behalf of those foster youth in need. I appreciate both her and the foster youth leaders for participating in this bipartisan gathering of the Ways and Means Committee. We had a productive discussion that really highlighted the unique opportunity we have to work together to improve support services and modernize our nation’s foster youth programs – including for the 16,000 young men and women who age out every year. The Ways and Means Committee has been working diligently to build bipartisan consensus around reforms to strengthen the Chafee program, and the First Lady’s leadership is going to be instrumental in helping bring about changes that will improve the lives of America’s foster youth. Through Mrs. Trump’s Fostering the Future initiative and bipartisan legislation, I’m confident we will improve outcomes and opportunities for America’s foster youth.”

Bipartisan Legislation to Modernize the Chafee Foster Care Program to Improve Outcomes for Vulnerable Youth:

  • Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act (H.R.7432)
  • Foster Youth Workforce Opportunity Act (H.R.7343)
  • Foster Youth Postsecondary Education Access and Success Act (H.R.7463)
  • Support for Expectant and Parenting Foster Youth Act (H.R.7655)
  • Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act (H.R.7529)
  • Chafee Opportunities for New Networks and Existing Connection Trust (CONNECT) Act (H.R.7995)

Read a fact sheet on the legislation here.