{"id":129,"date":"2026-05-09T06:31:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T06:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanantoniomovingreport.com\/?p=129"},"modified":"2026-05-09T06:31:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T06:31:21","slug":"building-a-stronger-future-for-foster-youth-in-texas-and-across-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanantoniomovingreport.com\/?p=129","title":{"rendered":"Building a stronger future for foster youth in Texas and across America"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Commentaries at the San Antonio Report provide space for our community to share perspectives and offer solutions to pressing local issues. The views expressed in this commentary belong to the author alone.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Military City USA\u2019 means protecting voucher-qualified veterans from housing discrimination<\/a><\/p>\n

As Texans, we\u2019re raised to \u201cRemember the Alamo,\u201d but the more urgent call today is to\u00a0remember the young Americans who need us most, including our foster youth. May is National Foster Care Month, and as our nation approaches 250 years of independence, that conviction reflects a broader American promise: each generation should have the opportunity to build a better future for themselves and their\u00a0posterity. But for the roughly 20,000 foster youth in the United Stateswho age out of care each year, that promise is\u00a0far from guaranteed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Across the country, nearly a quarter of these young adults who transition out of foster care will\u00a0 experience homelessness. Roughly 21% face substance abuse challenges, and many\u00a0struggle to secure steady employment. Too often, they enter adulthood without what most Americans take for granted \u2014 stable housing, financial guidance, or a clear starting point.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here in Texas, we see this reality up close. Each year, over a thousand young Texans leave the\u00a0 foster care system and step into adulthood on their own. For far too many, that is not a transition \u2014 it is a cliff. And it demands a response grounded in results.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development, we are proud to help support these individuals through the Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) initiative. This program connects young Americans transitioning out of foster care with housing assistance and supportive services so they can secure housing, employment, and stability in their life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

This effort is further reinforced by President Trump\u2019s Executive Order, \u201cFostering the Future for\u00a0 American Children and Families,\u201d which strengthens coordination between government, the\u00a0 private sector, and community organizations to support foster youth and ensure they can age out\u00a0 of care and into a life of self-sufficiency.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We are also guided by the leadership of First Lady Melania Trump, who worked with Congress\u00a0to help secure $30 million to support foster youth and also helped expand access to educational\u00a0 opportunities through Fostering the Future, a BE BEST initiative.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I have seen firsthand how close these issues are to her heart. As the First Lady said before\u00a0 Congress, \u201cIn safeguarding our children\u2019s well-being, we shape the integrity of our nation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

These are not abstract commitments. Under President Trump\u2019s leadership, we have supported\u00a0 more than 1,300 youth with approximately $18.4 million in FYI funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Where I Live: Fair Oaks Ranch<\/a><\/p>\n

In Texas, HUD has awarded more than $7.5 million, investing in more than 750 youth since 2019. There are\u00a0currently nearly 650 FYI awards in place through 31 public housing authorities, including 25 active vouchers through the San Antonio Housing Authority and 28 through the Bexar County\u00a0Housing Authority. Behind each FYI voucher is an American working to sign a lease, earn a paycheck, and build a self-sufficient life with dignity and hope for the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Still, numbers alone do not tell the full story. To get this right, we must listen.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

That is why we have brought these conversations directly to the communities themselves, so we\u00a0 can hear directly from those who need help the most. After hosting roundtables with youth who have foster care experience in Denver and Pittsburgh, San Antonio marked our third stop in this\u00a0 national effort. Across each region, one message has consistently rung clear: foster youth need\u00a0 greater access to financial literacy resources to help them understand key aspects of economic\u00a0 well-being, including saving, investing, credit management, and taxes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In San Antonio, those realities came into sharper focus as we heard from those determined to\u00a0 build a better future for the next generation. We heard from a 23-year-old single mother of two\u00a0 who experienced homelessness after transitioning out of the foster care system. She shared her\u00a0 resolve to go to school and become a teacher to build a life grounded in dignity and ensure her\u00a0 kids achieve stability and success.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

These conversations are shaping what comes next for the FYI program. The insights that are\u00a0 shared with us at these discussions are not just rhetoric, but practical recommendations to better\u00a0 align policy with real-world needs. My team and I take these forums as an opportunity to hear\u00a0 directly from those in need and take an honest look at where systems can improve.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For me, this mission is personal. I am a proud Texan, and I have seen what happens when people\u00a0 are given a strong foundation and the freedom to build on it. I have also seen what happens when\u00a0 the foundation is missing, and how easy it is for things to go awry. But in Texas, we do not turn\u00a0 away from challenges \u2014 we meet them-head on, and that is what we are doing around the table\u00a0 through these listening sessions and roundtables.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our goal is simple. When these young Texans transitioning out of foster care step forward into\u00a0 adulthood, they should do so with confidence, with stability, and with the knowledge that their\u00a0 state and country stand behind them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I am proud of the work we have done thus far, and I am encouraged by the young people whose\u00a0 lives have been changed for the better. I am grateful for the First Lady\u2019s commitment to our\u00a0 nation\u2019s youth. This administration\u2019s work to uplift foster children will bear fruit for many\u00a0 generations to come.<\/p>\n

Read more Where I Live: Sandy Oaks<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Commentary: From right here in San Antonio, to cities across the nation, HUD is bringing policy closer to the young Americans it serves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nBuilding a stronger future for foster youth in Texas and across America - San Antonio moving report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sanantoniomovingreport.com\/?p=129\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Building a stronger future for foster youth in Texas and across America - San Antonio moving report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Commentary: From right here in San Antonio, to cities across the nation, HUD is bringing policy closer to the young Americans it serves.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sanantoniomovingreport.com\/?p=129\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"San Antonio moving report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-09T06:31:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sanantoniomovingreport.com\\\/?p=129#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sanantoniomovingreport.com\\\/?p=129\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sanantoniomovingreport.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b194b4d25ee8d0b8eb5f4fbdd99e52ad\"},\"headline\":\"Building a stronger future for foster youth in Texas and across America\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-09T06:31:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sanantoniomovingreport.com\\\/?p=129\"},\"wordCount\":934,\"commentCount\":0,\"articleSection\":[\"Interesting\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sanantoniomovingreport.com\\\/?p=129#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sanantoniomovingreport.com\\\/?p=129\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sanantoniomovingreport.com\\\/?p=129\",\"name\":\"Building a stronger future for foster youth in Texas and across America - 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