Foster Care Stabilization Act of 2026

Key Points

• Congress is proposing a new program to give money to local agencies that help kids in foster care. The bill would create three grants, each worth up to $1 million, to help these agencies provide emergency support and better services for children waiting for a permanent home.
• The money can be used for basic needs like food and clothing. Specifically, agencies could spend up to $250 per year on clothes and personal items for each foster youth. This funding only becomes available if the overall budget for these types of services increases by at least $5 million.
• Agencies can use the funds to hire more staff to make sure kids get the help they need. The goal is to keep children safe from abuse and neglect while they are in the system and to provide extra help during emergencies to promote safety and self-sufficiency.
• This program focuses on foster youth, which includes children and young adults up to age 26. It also makes a special effort to reach out to rural communities and Native American or Native Hawaiian organizations to ensure they have access to these resources.
• The government will track how this money is spent and how it helps the kids. They will look at things like how many times a child has to move between homes and how their overall well-being improves because of the extra support.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.