In my capacity as President, granted by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, I hereby decree the following:
Section 1. Purpose and Policy. My Administration is committed to enabling mothers and fathers to nurture their children within safe and loving environments. When crises hinder this ideal, our nation’s foster care system must be adequately equipped to assist children in need. Current shortcomings in the foster care system require significant improvements.
Children often linger in foster care for extended periods, and those who age out frequently encounter uncertain futures devoid of essential support systems for educational, career, and personal success. Many caseworkers are overwhelmed, and information systems are antiquated. Moreover, certain jurisdictions maintain policies that unjustly discourage or outright prevent qualified families from becoming foster and adoptive parents based on their deeply held religious beliefs or adherence to basic biological truths.
The children and youth of our nation—and the families who care for them—deserve far better. In pursuit of this goal, my Administration, under the dedicated leadership of the First Lady, will leverage Federal resources, technological advancements, and strategic partnerships to furnish young Americans in or transitioning out of the foster care system with the necessary tools to thrive as successful adults.
Sec. 2. Modernizing the Child Welfare System.
(a) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall act within 180 days from the date of this order to:
(i) Update relevant regulations, policies, and practices to enhance the collection, publication, and transparency of State-level child welfare data. This includes improving data collection on child well-being and safety, eliminating redundant or unnecessarily costly reporting requirements, and expediting the publication of child welfare data;
(ii) Encourage the modernization of State child welfare information systems and the adoption of effective foster care management and outcome-tracking platforms, integrating these modernization efforts into the technical assistance provided to the States;
(iii) Expand the use of technological solutions by States, including predictive analytics and AI tools, to bolster caregiver recruitment and retention, refine caregiver-child matching, and ensure Federal child welfare funding is deployed effectively;
(iv) Publish an annual scorecard to assess State-level progress on key outcomes, such as reducing unnecessary entries into foster care, minimizing the gap between reports of maltreatment and investigations, lowering child injuries and fatalities due to neglect and abuse, increasing caregiver recruitment and retention, improving matching processes, reducing placement disruptions, and expediting permanent placements.
Sec. 3. Fostering the Future.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the First Lady’s Office and other relevant executive departments and agencies, shall, within 180 days from the date of this order:
(a) Launch a “Fostering the Future” initiative to forge partnerships with agencies, leading private sector organizations, academic institutions, and non-profits to establish new educational and employment opportunities for individuals in or transitioning out of the foster care system;
(b) Develop a plan to introduce an online “Fostering the Future” platform, in conjunction with the National Design Studio, to assess the needs of individuals with foster care backgrounds. This platform will provide guidance for accessing Federal, State, and local programs and services, including housing, education, employment, healthcare, and mentoring, along with a searchable database of available resources and personalized support plans;
(c) Formulate strategies to reallocate funds returned by States from Federal programs designed for individuals transitioning out of foster care, ensuring these funds advance educational success, occupational growth, and financial independence;
(d) Enhance the flexibility of Education and Training Vouchers to broaden access for individuals leaving foster care to short-term, career-oriented, and credential-awarding programs; and
(e) Facilitate, in partnership with the Secretaries of the Treasury and Education, State use of educational scholarships funded through tax-credited donations to organizations that grant scholarships to children in foster care.
Sec. 4. Maximizing Partnerships with Americans of Faith. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Director of the White House Faith Office and the Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, shall:
(a) Address State and local policies that unreasonably restrict the participation of qualified individuals or organizations in federally funded child welfare programs based on their sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions;
(b) Foster increased collaboration between agencies and faith-based organizations to better serve families whose children are in foster care or at risk of placement.
Sec. 5. General Provisions.
(a) This order shall not impair or affect:
(i) The authority granted by law to any executive department or agency, or its head; or
(ii) The functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget related to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order will be implemented in accordance with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not designed to create any enforceable rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, against the United States, its departments, agencies, or any other parties.
(d) The Department of Health and Human Services will bear the costs associated with the publication of this order.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
November 13, 2025.
