Melania Trump Tells Senate Spouses It’s Their ‘Moral Obligation’ to Urge Passage of Proposed Foster Care Act

The House unanimously passed the bill earlier this week.

First Lady Melania Trump, accompanied by President Donald Trump, speaks during the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. on May 19, 2026. (Photo by Kent Nishmura / AFP via Getty Images)

First Lady Melania Trump appealed to lawmakers and their spouses this week to help push the Fostering the Future Act—legislation with a series of foster care reforms—through the Senate.

“If every one of your states gets involved to support our foster care community, we can accelerate our vision to protect these individuals and set them on a pathway to shine,” the first lady said at the 2026 United States Senate Spouses Luncheon in Washington, D.C. “I consider this your moral obligation.”

Last month, the Ways and Means Committee advanced six bills that would modernize the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (“Chafee”), the nation’s program exclusively for the 20,000 youth who age out of the foster care system each year.

The propos…