First lady Melania Trump on Wednesday called on Congress to pass modernized reforms to aid foster children as they transition into adulthood.
The first lady’s urging of Congress to empower America’s foster children came during a roundtable discussion with members of the House Ways and Means Committee on Capitol Hill.
“Although reports vary, roughly 3 percent of individuals in foster care communities earned a college degree in 2025. 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.”
“These issues include housing instability, educational advocacy, financial barriers, transportation continuity, access to technology, and other related issues,” she added. “New legislation for the foster care community is a moral imperative.”
The first lady said that while President Donald Trump’s executive order, Fostering the Future for American Children and Families, which she championed, is “a transformative vision, Congress now has the opportunity to create a lasting positive impact on this community.”
“Beginning here in this room, we can once again change people’s lives. With the new legislation, we can ensure that the opportunity is more than helpful for individuals in the foster care community; it can be their birthright,” she added.
Lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation to update the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (Chafee) program to better the opportunities and lives of those aging out of the foster care system, as the Ways and Means Committee notes.
In a statement to Breitbart News, Marc Beckman, the exclusive senior adviser to the first lady, said she has “elevated America’s children from dependents to moral equals who deserve protection and a voice of their own.”
“Although she’s partnering with Congress to advance landmark legislation, she is calling on our entire nation to meet this ethical obligation,” Beckman added. “The obligation to ensure that America’s children will develop emotionally and physically in order to have the tools needed to thrive over their entire lifetimes.”