This week, the Rep. Zach Nunn-led bipartisan effort to advance the Fostering the Future for American Children and Families Act marks a pivotal moment for young people transitioning out of foster care. This legislation—introduced by Congressman Nunn (IA-03) and co-sponsored by Rep. Greg Landsman (OH-01) —seeks to codify and expand the recent federal initiative aimed at equipping foster youth with the tools, training, and opportunities they need to build stable, meaningful futures. Rep. Nunn co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth and Rep. Landsman is an active Caucus member.
NFYI applauds this effort to strengthen pathways to education, career development, digital access, and financial stability for transition age youth. These are areas where our program participants have long called for increased support. By codifying components of the recent federal initiative and expanding its reach, the bill will help ensure that youth aging out of care are not left to navigate adulthood without the resources their peers rely on. NFYI welcomes this focus on practical, life-changing investments and will continue working with young people, lawmakers, and community partners to ensure that the voices of current and former foster youth shape the policies designed to support them.
Read more in the press release from Rep. Nunn’s office:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representatives Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Greg Landsman (OH-01) today introduced the Fostering the Future for American Children and Families Act, bipartisan legislation to codify President Donald J. Trump’s recent Executive Order aimed at improving outcomes for children in the foster care system.
“As a father and former foster parent to two amazing girls my wife and I adopted, I know the barriers foster youth face when transitioning into adulthood,” said Rep. Nunn. “I was proud to join President Trump for the launch of the First Lady’s Fostering the Future initiative. I’m even prouder to help codify this commonsense effort to give youth aging out of foster care real tools to continue their education, find a job, and build a strong, stable future.”
Across the country, more than 400,000 children are in foster care. Each year, roughly 20,000 young adults age out of the system. One in five will become homeless. Half will not find gainful employment by age 25. In Iowa, over 3,000 kids are in foster care today. While the state leads the nation in connecting foster youth to support programs like the Chafee Program, fewer than half of eligible youth nationwide ever access those resources.
“We’re talking about kids with enormous potential and talent who have faced the kind of adversity very few people know or can even comprehend,” said Rep. Landsman. “They deserve every resource and opportunity we can provide to ensure they are successful.”
“This legislation recognizes the potential of foster youth and removes long-standing barriers to opportunity,” said Rebecca Lauve Yao, CEO of the National Foster Youth Institute. “By expanding access to short-term credentials, apprenticeships, and rapid-employment training, Rep. Nunn’s bill creates real pathways to economic stability. It reflects the lived experience and advocacy of NFYI members nationwide, and we’re proud to support this effort to treat foster youth as contributors to our country’s future — not as a cause for charity.”
On November 13, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order launching the Fostering the Future initiative, which directs federal agencies to improve access to training, apprenticeships, and career support for foster youth. Rep. Nunn’s bill codifies and expands that initiative by:
- Directing the Departments of Health and Human Services and Labor to conduct a nationwide study of current workforce and apprenticeship programs for foster youth. The study will evaluate program effectiveness, identify gaps, and recommend improvements to expand career pathways.
- Establishing the “Fostering the Future Pipeline Program,” a $50 million competitive grant initiative to support states, nonprofits, schools, and private-sector partners in providing technical training and apprenticeships in high-demand fields like healthcare, IT, skilled trades, and agriculture.
- Expanding the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program under the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program to allow foster youth to use funds for short-term, career-focused credential programs, including registered apprenticeships and certificate training.
“When I aged out of foster care, college was the only path I knew — but many of my peers never got that chance. Without access to career training or guidance, too many ended up on difficult paths despite their potential,” said Majd Abdallah, NFYI alum and former foster youth. “This bill opens doors that were closed for my generation. It gives foster youth real options, and real chances, to build a better future.”
The Fostering the Future for American Children and Families Act is endorsed by the National Foster Youth Institute.
Text of the bill can be found here.
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