First Lady Melania Trump’s Fostering the Future FYI Initiative Marks Seven Years with Major Program Enhancements - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (.gov)

WASHINGTON – The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today marked the seventh anniversary of First Lady Melania Trump’s Fostering the Future Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) initiative by announcing a landmark Statement of Findings and Notice PIH 2026-19 to strengthen support for youth with lived experience in foster care. The policy improvements reflect feedback from foster youth, state and local officials, public housing authorities (PHAs), and service providers who participated in HUD hosted roundtables across the country.

“Every young American deserves the opportunity to pursue the American Dream,” said Secretary Turner. “Inspired by First Lady Melania Trump’s leadership in caring for foster youth, we sat down with young adults across the country to listen to their testimonies, their challenges, and their hopes for the future. Now, we are acting to better equip youth exiting foster care with the tools they need to build independent, successful futures.”

“This collaboration between public housing authorities and child welfare agencies, led by HUD, is critical to America as each year approximately 20,000 young people age out of foster care. It treats housing as an investment in the next generation rather than just another governmental safety net,” explained First Lady Melania Trump.

HUD’s Statement of Findings highlights key themes identified during Secretary Turner’s roundtable conversations and recommends policy solutions for federal agencies and Congress. Recommendations include closing information gaps about the FYI program, expanding access to financial literacy training, recruiting professionals with lived experiences to mentor FYI youth, and increasing access to affordable housing.

HUD’s Notice PIH-2026-19 expands access to FYI vouchers, enabling PHAs to expand housing assistance and supportive services to more eligible youth.

HUD supported First Lady Melania Trump in securing $30 million for foster youth housing in President Trump’s FY26 budget. The notice makes additional carryover funds available from FY25. These funds are available today. Application inquiries may be directed to FYI@hud.gov.

The notice removes the cap on the number of vouchers PHAs can obtain, informs the public of HUD’s intent to recapture unutilized vouchers, and encourages PHAs to proactively amend their administrative plans to facilitate FYI voucher requests.

The Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence Initiative

Since President Trump took office, HUD has supported more than 1,700 youth with approximately $23.2 million in FYI funding.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) estimates that more than 20,000 young people transition out of foster care each year. The National Center for Housing and Child Welfare (NCHCW) estimates that approximately 25 percent of these young people experience homelessness within four years of leaving foster care. The FYI program ensures youth exiting foster care have the necessary resources by awarding housing vouchers to PHAs for young adults under the age of 25 who are in, or have recently left, the foster care system. Participants are also provided with supportive services to help them work toward their educational and career goals.

The FYI initiative was launched on July 26, 2019, under the leadership of former HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson. Today there are more than 8,900 FYI awards currently effective through 409 PHAs in 49 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Fostering the Future for American Children and Families Executive Order

Through her Fostering the Future initiative, First Lady Melania Trump is uniting government, industry, and community leaders around a shared vision: ensure every young American has access to education, mentorship, and career pathways that lead to long-term independence and success. President Trump’s Executive Order (EO), “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families,” represents a major milestone in that vision and will have lasting impact on children and families for generations.

HUD’s Foster Youth to Independence Roundtables

In accordance with the EO, Secretary Turner hosted a series of roundtables across the country to learn from youth transitioning from foster care to adulthood about unique obstacles they face to financial literacy and housing stability. Participants in each roundtable included current and former foster youth, PHA and child welfare staff, Chafee coordinators, officials from HHS and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and representatives from stakeholder organizations. Feedback from the roundtables has helped improve coordination across federal, state, and local governments and community organizations to ensure foster youth can seamlessly transition into successful adult lives.